For 6 Years
by OliviaAnne
Summary: Despite her struggles, she rose from the ashes, becoming a beautiful phoenix. She has everything – looks, voluptuous body, successful career, money ... and a pair of blue-eyed twins? Certainly this was not the woman he left 6 years ago. *Not an AU : No worries, there'll still be scary cases.*
1. Chapter 1

**Nana here! Nice to meet ya'll :] **

**Anyhoo, this is my very first fanfic. So, I hope that you guys will guide me here ;]**

**I've been debating whether to do my Lin x Mai fanfic first but meh, I'd rather do the Naru x Mai first since the story has been stuck in my head for God knows how long :]] **

**Oh yeah, I'd like to apologize in advance for the future grammatical errors and spellings and all :D **

**Wait wait wait, one last thing. I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT. If I did, Mai and Naru would be married by now, hahahahaha.**

_**Author's Note:  
Timeline of the story: 6 years after Naru left for England.**_

…

She is the model and envy of every girl in Japan; the apple of every men's eye. She has everything – looks, voluptuous body, successful career, money. Men didn't care if she has two blue-eyed kids. Women just wanted to be like her. She was idolized. At the age of 17, she graduated with high honors from her high school. At 20, she graduated at Harvard University with an MBA and Fashion Design degree, stealing the top spot. And in 2 years, she was already running a very successful company, earning millions of yen. In business magazines, she instantly got a spot in the 'Top 10 Most Successful Women'. In fashion magazines, she owns the number one spot for 'Rising Models in Japan'. She's smart, beautiful, and kind. If she ran for Miss Universe, she'd definitely win.

Taniyama Mai was in every man and woman's dreams.

…

"Mai-san?"

Mai sighed and swivelled her leather chair slightly to the right to reach the button for the intercom. "Yes, Rika?" She could hear the slight turning of pages. _Probably my schedule for the afternoon._ She thought.

"Ah, I just wanted to remind you for your meeting this afternoon."

Mai smiled wearily. "Of course. Thanks Rika."

Sou Rika, her most trusted secretary slash best friend. They found each other in Harvard University. Rika was half-Japanese. The moment Mai knew she understood Japanese, they hit it off instantly. Though sometimes, they would have to converse in English to be able to blend in society. By the time they graduated, they told each other their dreams. Apparently, Rika wanted to be an artist. Her parents denied her wishes, thinking that being an artist was a waste of money and that people would only recognize her by the time she was dead. So she took a business course, with the hopes of her parents helping her after she graduates. But her parents, again, denied helping her, thinking that she wouldn't get anywhere in her life if they helped her. Rika was furious and decided to join Mai in her endeavour; building her own fashion company. So she left Massachusetts and went to Japan with Mai.

With Rika's artistic hands and Mai's creativity and business skills, they were able to impress famous fashion designers in Japan. They worked hard, until such time that they were able to save money to start their own little company. By the time they mentioned their plan to their bosses, they were ecstatic. They even offered money. The two refused, saying that their savings was enough. But a woman named Sayuri, was able to change their minds, saying, "We see ourselves in you both. We strived. We drove ourselves to the point of death, wanting to become what we really want. And now here we are, seeing two young women doing their best in achieving their dreams, like what we used to do. We understand the hardships. Give us the opportunity to share because we know that what we'll give will be doubled in time." With that, they gave in, promising that they'll pay them back.

Rika voiced out before they built their company, that she will remain as Mai's secretary and art verifier since Rika wasn't into dealing with business. Mai begged her for weeks to be her VP, but alas, she was immovable. So they worked and worked and worked … and now here they are, dominating the business and fashion world.

Mai returned to her laptop, but before she could type a single word, her personal mobile rang. She took it from her drawer and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Jou-chan!" It was Takigawa Houshou, also known as 'Bou-san'. Mai smiled at hearing her father's voice. Yes, 'Father'. And the mother? None other than Matsuzaki Ayako. They adopted her by the time they got married 3 years ago. "_How's my daughter doing? You're probably working too hard again, aren't you? Where are my precious grand children?_" Mai laughed at this.

"Mou, Otou-san, I'm fine. And I'm not working too hard. As for your grandchildren, they're still at school. I'll be picking them up at 4:30 today." She started to pile some folders that were scattered right in front her.

"_So you'll be home early? Yasuhara called, says that he wanted to do a little reunion at your house._"

Mai sighed. "He just wants to play with the twins, doesn't he?"

"_Considering that your twins are devious, yes, he wants to play with them._"

"Otou-san!" Mai exclaimed. "At least they're happy and acting like children. I'm thankful that they didn't end up like their Father. They're a lot like me when I was a kid, a total prankster." She was now tapping her pen against her mahogany desk.

"_Oh well, we'll see you tonight Mai! Don't work too hard, okay? Love you!_"

"Alright, see you guys tonight. Love you too." She flipped her phone shut and leaned back against her comfy chair. She looked at the time in her laptop. _11:47AM, I think I'll invite Rika for an early lunch today._ She stood up and fixed her clothes. She reached for the button on her intercom. "Rika, how about we leave early for lunch break today?" She waited for a few seconds, but no reply came from her secretary. Instead, her office door opened and came out Rika with a huge grin on her face. "Glad we're on the same page this time Mai." With that, they both left their respected offices for lunch.

…

They were sitting in a private booth. Mai wanted peace and quiet for today. "So Mai-chan, what's up? I mean, you rarely do this y'know, early lunch and all."

Mai sighed and shrugged. "I'm just tired, that's all. With all the meetings, and fashion shows, and everything."

Rika looked at her 5-year companion. _She does look awfully tired._ "Do you want me to reschedule? I mean, I am your secretary Mai. Not only that, I'm your best friend too."

Mai shook her head slowly and started poking her unfinished food. "I need to finish those early so that I can have extra time for the kids at the end." Mai looked up from her food and looked at her best friend. "And … Rika?"

Said best friend tilted her head to one side. "Yeah?"

"Yasu-kun's planning for a reunion tonight at my house. Wanna come? No wait. You should come."

Rika chuckled. "Of course I'll go. Psh. You need some stress-reliever."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Right. As if my stress will be relieved if Yasu's there." She said sarcastically. They both left the restaurant with smiles on their faces.

…

"Call the cleaners. This place is a mess." Said a black-haired boy, staring at the office with disgust. He heard a sigh behind him.

"What? You expect someone to take care of this place after we left?" The tall man replied haughtily.

The black-haired boy merely stared at the first empty desk that he saw. _It's empty._

"Do you want me to call the others?" The tall man asked. Black-haired boy nodded and stepped inside his now-dusty office. Opening his office, he could envision a brown-haired girl standing there with a cup of tea in her hands and placing it on the desk. He shook his head. _I don't need those right now._ He immediately left the office and called out for his companion. "Lin, I'll see you in the apartment. I wanna rest."

Lin simply nodded and fished out his phone from his pocket. "Would you like to have dinner with them tonight Naru?"

"Alright then." Naru left the office and hailed a cab.

…

**That's the first chapter guys! :D I hope you liked it :\ Blah. I tried to keep everything simple so as to lessen my errors in grammar, but it seems, it's impossible sometimes. Hahahaha. I'll update again tomorrow! :] **

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! :] First of all, I'd like to thank some people:**

**Barajou29**

**Urdyonlione**

**Jaz-147**

**dark-alice-angels**

**zerocchi**

**Kumiko Masa**

**Yugure no bara**

**Thearistocrat**

** .Superman**

**Chrysanthia-Sunshine**

**HEY GUYS! Thank you so much for reviewing my very first story ;] I feel elated … and shy :3 Hahahaha. I just hope that you'll keep on reading and enjoy :]**

**Well, here's chapter TWO! :D**

…

"Masako, what's the rush?" Yasuhara said, sitting down across the kimono-dressed medium. On his left were Bou-san and Ayako. "I mean, we're all gonna be meeting at Mai-chan's mansion tonight. Why now?"

He looked at the married couple, trying to look for an answer. They shook their heads. "Masako wouldn't say anything yet, not when everyone's here."

Yasuhara's eyebrow rose. "Everyone? Including Mai?"

"Nope. It's everyone … excluding Mai." The miko flipped her hair over her shoulder, taking the straw from her mango shake and putting it into her mouth.

"Eh? What's goi –"

"I'm terribly sorry for the tardiness, mates." John said, hurriedly taking the seat beside Masako. He gave everyone a small bow. "I got caught up in some chores back at the church. I had to finish them first."

Masako gave the ex-priest a small smile. "It's okay John. You weren't extremely late." John simply took her hand in his, and gave it a small squeeze. A year after Naru left for England, John stepped down from his position as a priest and confessed to Masako. They've been dating for 4 years, and now, they're engaged. Both are waiting for the right time to get married. "So, what's going on?"

Yasuhara exhaled loudly. "Thank you for that."

Masako looked at them with seriousness in her eyes. "He's back. Lin called me earlier, asking if we could all have dinner tonight."

Despite the noise around them inside the restaurant, they couldn't hear anything. The silence in their heads was deafening, it was like hearing crickets inside your head. Yasuhara's expression was unreadable, considering that his glasses were glinting due to the light from the outside. The monk's expression was obvious – shock, bewilderment, and anger. His wife, Ayako, was surprisingly wearing a poker face. She was just staring at Masako, like she was some kind of crazed woman. Her fiancée, John, was blinking quite a lot, making him look like an owl.

"What did you say?" Yasuhara tore the silence in between.

Masako sighed. "I told him that I'm free tonight. Then he started telling me that he'll call you guys, so I instantly offered that I'll do it, telling him that he's probably tired from the long flight. He accepted. So, here we are."

Ayako shot out from her seat, looking at the medium with rage. "WHAT! YOU _TOLD_ HIM THAT YOU'RE _FREE_ TONIGHT WHEN WE HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT WITH MAI?" Monk was trying his best to placate his raging wife, saying sorry to some onlookers.

The medium simply looked at the miko with coldness in her eyes. "What? What were you expecting me to tell him? 'Oh, I'm terribly sorry Lin-san but we're not free since we're gonna have dinner tonight with Mai and her kids.' You want me to say that to him?"

"No! N – no!" Ayako stuttered, her face flushed with embarrassment. She sat back down and sighed. "Well then, how about Mai? She should be here, listening to what we're saying." She looked at everyone with confusion and frustration in her eyes. "It's been 6 years. _SIX FREAKING YEARS!_" She exclaimed. "And now he decides to show up, casually asking us for dinner? Does he have some tumor in his head or something?" She placed her head in her hands, obviously frustrated by everything. Her husband was soothing her, caressing her hair and her back.

"Is there anything that we can do?" The monk finally asked. He was now somehow calm, but obviously frustrated by the situation.

"If I were to comment on this predicament, this was bound to happen at some point." Yasuhara said. He was feeling frustrated, but it wasn't about Naru's return. It was about Mai's feelings.

John nodded and looked at his long-time companions. "They're both bound by something that they created." He traced circles at the back of Masako's hand. "We all know that one day, Mai has to confess, and that Naru has to know."

Silence followed the group again. They knew that no matter how much they wanted to protect Mai and her feelings, they couldn't do the task forever. Throughout those years of struggles, Mai rose from the ashes. She's now living a luxurious life with two wonderful kids. They didn't want her to go down that path again, the path that she went through 6 years ago; the path of mental destruction. They all thought that she couldn't be saved, but after her twins were born, she was given a lifetime mission; to provide for her kids. And that's what she did.

"Don't you guys think that Mai has changed for the better already?" Masako asked, stopping everyone from their thoughts. "She's strong and mature. Ever since he left, she's been coping on her own. During her pregnancy, she tried her hardest to follow the doctor's orders just for the sake of the twins. As soon as they were born, she continued her studies abroad and graduated with high grades. And now she has her own company which she basically started from scratch. Don't you guys think it's time for Naru to know about what he has left behind?"

"So basically, you're talking about revenge." Yasuhara deadpanned. "That's a good way of shoving it back in his face." He jested, trying to lighten up the mood.

Masako shrugged. "Maybe, but that's the other side of the coin. My main point is, she's been standing on her own two feet. I have complete confidence in her that she wouldn't break down. And I'm pretty sure Mai has also thought that she might have to tell Naru someday." Masako sighed and gripped John's hand. "I suggest that we bring Naru and Lin to Mai's house tonight. Of course, we're gonna have to tell Mai today."

Yasuhara and John nodded, completely agreeing. "We just have to have faith in Mai, like we always do." John commented.

"I'll do it." Ayako suddenly said.

"Do what?" Monk asked.

Ayako sighed heavily. "What time do the kids leave for school? I'll go see them."

"Ah." Monk pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. "School ends at 4:30 today. Mai will be picking them up."

Ayako stood up and fixed her clothes. "Good then. I'll talk to her by the time she arrives." She looked at Masako. "Masako, you know what to do."

The medium nodded. "Yes, I'll call Lin right now."

Yasuhara stood up and stretched. "Now that was one hell of a meeting. See you guys at 7!" He smiled and left the booth.

They all started to go separate ways, sincerely hoping that tonight's turn of events wouldn't be so drastic.

…

Mai sighed heavily against her comfy leather chair. After the meeting, she suddenly felt nervous. _Are these my instincts again?_ She looked at the clock. It read 4:00PM. _I'll leave at 4:15_. So she has 15 minutes to think about what's making her nervous all of a sudden. She swivelled her chair, making her look at the scenery behind her. Half of her office was covered with tinted windows that went from the ceiling down to the carpeted floors, and half of it was sound-proofed walls. She enjoys looking at different sceneries, making her feel relaxed. But no, right now, looking at the city wasn't helping her at all. She reached for the button on her intercom. "Rika?"

A cracking noise was heard. "Yes, Mai-san?"

Mai doesn't know what question to ask, since she was just feeling nervous. "Uhh, is something going on outside?"

"No, Mai-san. Is something wrong?"

Mai shook her head. "No no no. I'm sorry. I was just feeling nervous all of a sudden. Never mind." She released he button and sighed again. _What's going on?_ Looking at her watch, it read 4:10. Mai sighed. _I'll just arrive there early._ Mai took her coat and other personal belongings. As soon as she left her office, she called for Rika. "Rika, see you tonight at 7?" Rika simply smiled. "I'll lock your office for you?" Mai nodded and waved goodbye.

As soon as Mai stepped on the elevators, Rika called for Mai's driver.

…

_At least it's sunny today._ Ayako thought while walking along the sidewalk that goes straight to the twins' school. She could see different limousines parked along the sides, waiting for their respected young charges to leave school. She scanned the plate numbers, hoping to find the one that she was looking for. _I knew it. She'll be here early._ She hastened her steps. As soon as she reached the car, she knocked on the passenger's window. Instead of the window rolling down, she heard a door open. "Ah, Matsuzaki-sama." The driver greeted formally.

"Is Mai in here?" Ayako asked, still looking through the tinted glass.

The driver opened the other door, opposite her. "Yes, Matsuzaki-sama. She's currently resting though. She just got out from a meeting, she's probably tired. Please, come in. We're waiting for Hikari-sama and Kaori-sama."

Ayako smiled. "Thank you." She got in and looked at the sleeping form of her adopted daughter. She was leaning back against the comfy seat offered by her luxurious car, hands crossed right in front of her, legs crossed, and her head dangling. Definitely, looking at her right now, she's not the clumsy-Mai they've known before. With the birth of her twins, her smile has brightened, more than ever. She's still happy and cheerful, like years before. Ayako sighed. _I hate this part._ She reached out, touched her shoulder and shook her lightly. "Mai, wake up. It's me, Ayako."

"Hmm?" Mai woke up with a start. She shook her head slightly, shaking off the fog in her eyes. She looked at her left and saw Ayako. She instantly brightened. "Okaa-san!" She hugged the red-haired woman with much enthusiasm. "What're you doing here?"

Ayako smiled, although it was a little bit awkward. Mai noticed this. "What's wrong?"

"I … wanted to talk to you about something, Mai." Ayako said, seriousness lacing in her voice.

Mai tilted her head a bit. "What is it?"

Ayako gulped. "He's back." Then, Ayako started narrating what happened before she came to the school.

Her adopted daughter simply looked at her with those chocolate eyes, showing nothing. She was beginning to feel nervous. Ayako immediately held both of her daughter's shoulders. "Look Mai. If you're not ready, we can always –" She got cut off when she heard Mai sigh loudly. When she looked at her, Mai was smiling; a painful smile. "So this is why I've been feeling nervous ever since I got out of that meeting."

Now Ayako was again confused. "Nervous? What do you mean?"

"I was supposed to leave at 4:15 from the office. But I was feeling nervous as soon as I got out of the conference room. I didn't know why. So I told Rika that I'll leave early, so here I am. Trying to catch some sleep before tonight."

"Maybe it's your instincts kicking in?"

Mai shrugged. "Probably." Mai looked at her mother, and she could see pure concern swirling in her eyes. "Okaa-san, I'll be fine. I'm much stronger now. Have faith." She smiled and placed a comforting hand on Ayako's cheeks.

_Masako was right._ Ayako sighed, for the umpteenth time, finally relieved as soon as she heard her daughter's words. "But, if I see something wrong going on, I _will_ step in."

Mai chuckled. "Of course you may. Now," Mai looked at her watch, 3 minutes left before 4:30. "Why don't we wait for the kids outside so that they'll be able to see us?"

Both women got out of the car and waited for two adorable blue-eyed girls.

…

"This isn't a house." Lin commented from the driver's seat, staring at the white mansion right in front of them.

Naru sighed. "Are you sure this is the correct address?"

Lin nodded. "Positive. I double-checked with Hara-san before I dropped the call."

"Maybe Hara-san got the address wrong."

His tall companion sighed. "I'll call her again." But before he could press Masako's number, a tap from Naru's side was heard. He looked and saw that it was Takigawa Houshou, grinning like an idiot. Naru sighed again and stepped out of the car.

Naru bowed slightly. "It's nice seeing you again Bou-san."

Bou-san clapped Naru's back, making the young man wince slightly from the pressure. "Nice seeing you too Naru-bou! You've grown!" He grinned, and shifted his attention at Naru's now-not-guardian, Lin Koujo. "Yo, Lin-san. You look well."

Lin smiled slightly. "You too, Bou-san. I assume that Japan has been treating you well."

Bou-san simply smiled and looked at the mansion. "Don't park your car out here. Bring it inside!" Naru and Lin were about to protest but the monk already pushed a button and was talking to someone through the device. When they saw Bou-san stepping away from the device, the gate slid open. Bou-san grinned at them. "Let's get in! I'm hungry!"

Bou-san got in with them, not daring to walk from the gates towards the mansion, which was quite a walk.

Naru took in the scenery outside the mansion. As soon as you get through the gates, there's a large front yard with nothing but well-maintained green grass. At its edges are small bushes lining the driveway. At the center of the yard is a circular fountain with an angel, water coming out from the pot she's holding. Looking at the mansion, it was wide, forming an L. It was three stories high, and behind the mansion are trees. _There's probably a garden behind the mansion._ Naru thought. As soon as they neared the front doors, they could see the front doors open. A young man, probably near Naru's age, came out. He was wearing a tail-coated suit. _A butler?_

"Where do I park the car Bou-san?" Lin asked, stopping for a while.

"Ah, here's fine Lin-san. You don't have to worry. This place is top security." Bou-san said. "Ah, there's Claude, come on. The others must be already inside."

Naru stepped out, followed by Bou-san. As soon as Bou-san stepped on the grounds, he greeted the butler with enthusiasm. "Claude! My man! How are things?" Naru and Lin merely followed the jolly monk.

Claude, the butler, bowed at the trio. "A pleasant evening to you Takigawa-sama. Everything's fine here on my end." Claude looked at Bou-san's two silent companions. "Welcome back to Japan, Shibuya-sama, Lin-sama." Claude bowed.

Albeit shocked with the extreme formalities, they both bowed. Claude side-stepped and waved them in, signalling them to come in. "Please, come inside. The others are already in the living room."

Bou-san stepped inside first, followed by Naru and Lin. Bou-san looked at Claude, who was leading the trio to the living room. "Is the Young Mistress in?"

Claude shook his head. "Not yet, Takigawa-sama. She called a couple of minutes ago, saying that she had to buy some last minute desserts. Probably for Hikari-sama and Kaori-sama."

Bou-san merely nodded and followed the butler, same with the two. Whilst walking closer towards the living room, they could hear laughter and snippets of conversations going on. During the walk, Naru and Lin took in their surroundings. Paintings adorned the flesh-colored walls, marbled floors that were maintained properly, and a wonderful atmosphere surrounded the entire mansion.

"Bou-san." Lin called.

The monk turned his head slightly, telling Lin that he was listening. "Yeah, Lin?"

"Who owns this mansion?"

Naru looked at Bou-san, also wanting to know about the owner. He was quite shocked, knowing that they'll be having dinner in this mansion.

Bou-san just grinned and continued walking. "You'll see later."

They continued their trek until they reached a door. Claude opened it for them. "They're inside. I'll inform you if the Young Mistress has arrived."

Bou-san nodded. "Thanks Claude." As soon as Naru and Lin stepped inside, they heard a loud yell of 'Welcome Back!'. It was Yasuhara and John.

"Oi Naru-chan! Lin-san!" Yasuhara, grinning and waving at them like they were so far away. Lin merely smiled in amusement while Naru sighed. "Yasuhara, we're not on the other side of the island."

Yasuhara pouted. "Stop being so formal Naru-chan. C'mon! C'mon! Have a seat!" Yasuhara patted the couch beside him. As soon as they sat down, John greeted them formally, as always. "It's nice seeing you again Naru-san, Lin-san." John smiled. "How was England?"

Lin smiled at John. "Same as ever, although we prefer the cases here in Japan. How about you John? How's the church?"

John simply smiled. "I stepped down as a priest years ago. I'm currently engaged. But despite stepping down from priesthood, I was given permission by the Vatican to continue doing exorcisms."

Naru and Lin's eyes narrowed in surprise. "Congratulations, John." Lin commented. "I thought you were going to be a priest for as long as you can."

"Same here." Bou-san and Yasuhara piped up.

The ex-priest chuckled. "Apparently, God had other plans for me. And I'm thankful. I'm happy with where I am right now."

Lin and Naru smiled at the ex-priest's admission. "So, who's the girl?" Naru asked.

John just looked at Naru, and then smiled. "Hara Masako."

Now, Naru and Lin were absolutely surprised. They weren't expecting this. John looked at them and laughed lightly. "I know what you guys are thinking, and it's absolutely okay to be honest."

"He's right you know. Even I wasn't expecting that they'd end up together." Bou-san chimed in. "I mean, seriously, Masako was rude and all that."

Yasuhara agreed. "Yep. And our dear John here is saintly."

John laughed with embarrassment. "Now now guys, I was just doing what's right."

"Maybe opposites do attract?" Lin smiled towards John.

"Maybe they do, right John?" Bou-san sent a teasing smile towards the blonde-haired man, who in return, blushed.

"Now now, Bou-san, stop teasi –" Yasuhara got cut off when he heard a knock.

"Come in." Bou-san said.

It was Claude. "The Young Mistress has arrived."

Yasuhara's smile widened, Bou-san jumped for joy because food has arrived, and John just simply smiled. They could hear the girls' voices, although there were some high-pitched voices that definitely didn't belong to the missing three. The door opened widely and in came Ayako and Masako, both carrying a blue-eyed child with black locks that curled near their waist. Both girls set the twins down, and they instantly ran towards Bou-san. "Grandpere!" They both shouted in unison, running and jumping into Bou-san's arms.

_French?_ Naru and Lin thought.

"Welcome back, you two." Naru and Lin looked at the newly arrived girls. They were both smiling at them. Masako's hair ended at her waist, while Ayako just kept it at the same length. Both have matured through the years. Masako merely smiled and bowed at the two, then proceeded to greet John. Ayako looked at Naru. "Aren't you guys tired from the flight? I mean, it was long. I'm sure you're dying to get some needed sleep."

"We are." Naru replied. "We just wanted to talk about something tonight."

Ayako was supposed to reply but another voice disrupted her.

"Hello everyone!" A young woman with a bob cut hair entered the room. She had green eyes and blonde hair.

"Rika-chan!" The entire room greeted.

Rika looked at the two new guests and waved at them sheepishly. "Hi! My name's Sou Rika. I'm the Young Mistress' trusted and personal secretary."

Lin bowed. "Lin Koujo." Naru did the same. "Shibuya Kazuya."

Rika simply smiled at them and bounded her way towards Bou-san who was still talking to the twins.

"Oi Rika-chan, where is she?" Yasuhara asked. "It's almost 7:30! And I'm hungry!" He whined.

Rika looked at Yasuhara. "You see, she got a call from France while we were on our way here. I was supposed to tell the damned lady to call back tomorrow since she has an important event – which is this – to attend to. But uhh, she said that she'll just accept the call so that she wouldn't be bothered anymore by tomorrow."

"Why? Is she busy tomorrow?" Ayako asked, making her way towards Bou-san and the twins.

She pulled out a rather thick planner from her bag and skimmed through the pages. "Ah yes, she's loaded with meetings tomorrow."

Bou-san sighed. "Poor Ma –"

"Who are they, Grandpere?" The twins asked with pure curiosity, looking at the two gentlemen standing in the middle of their living room.

"Ah! Yes yes, I'm sorry. I forgot my manners." Bou-san stood up and took the twins' hands in his. He looked at the both of them. "Go ahead, introduce yourselves."

Naru and Lin observed the twins. They noticed that sometimes, they would talk _AND_ act in perfect unison, just like right now.

Lin tried to suppress the gasp that's forming in his throat right now. _This twins, they look awfully a lot like Noll._ He could clearly see the resemblance. But not only Lin noticed the twins' features.

The twins tilted their head to one side, again, in perfect sync. "We're Hikari and Kaori. It's nice meeting you." They said in unison.

Bou-san patted their heads. "Good girls. These men," He gestured to Naru and Lin. "Are our old friends."

Lin moved forward and touched both of their heads, giving them a small smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Hikari-chan and Kaori-chan. My name's Lin Koujo."

The twins simply smiled in response. "Are you Chinese?" They asked.

The tall man, again, was surprised. _Tonight is full of surprises._ "How did you know?"

The both shrugged. "We just know." Then, they turned their attention to the other gentleman. Naru stepped forward and bent down to their level, one knee bent. He gave them a small smile. For some reason, he could feel a small tug at his heart when looking at the twins. "I am Shibuya Kazuya. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"Hello Shibuya-san." The twins just smiled in response and went back to the couch, now talking to Rika. As soon as Naru stood up, he could hear another voice, a very _familiar_ voice.

"FINALLY!" Yasuhara exclaimed.

As soon as she stepped inside, she faced Claude and talked to him. That chocolate-colored, layer-styled, waist length hair that glinted from the light, that sophisticated poise, that cheery voice, that body that definitely belonged to the model … and that blinding smile.

"Ah Naru-bou, Lin-san." He heard Bou-san, but he didn't even bother to look at him. He was utterly stunned and captivated by the woman in front of him, even the same could be said to his tall companion. "Meet the Young Mistress of the House, and the mother of these two adorable twins. Taniyama Mai."

Mai turned and looked at the two grown men. Her smile brightened more and waved at the two. "Welcome back to Japan you two! Ah, and welcome to my humble abode."

Certainly, this was _not_ the woman he left six years ago.

…

**Okay, a very long chapter. Hahahahaha! I was also planning on doing the dinner part here, but meh. Every story needs a cliffhanger, right? **

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! :] Another chapter tomorrow! :D (Yes, I'm a kind author. I update daily. Hoho.)**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

***Cough cough*, first and foremost, I would like to extend my thanks to these wonderful people:**

**Celtyin  
Fly Away Free spirituality  
Urdyonlione  
Kumiko Masa  
Devil's Daugther  
zerocchi  
Yugure no bara  
Kazuhe  
Alexkitkat  
thearistocrat  
Xubbles  
Barajou29  
Jaz-147  
lici910**

Celestial Star12

**Hoho! As soon as I finished encoding the second chapter, I immediately deleted everything and started the third chapter! (Seems like even I couldn't wait for the next chapter to be posted, hahahaha!)**

**As promised, here's Chapter Three! :3**

…

The table was constantly filled with laughter and conversations. Food was passed everywhere, questions were raised, memories were brought up, and even dirty little secrets were whispered. Yes, _whispered_, considering that there are two little kids on the table. But one man's eyes were constantly travelling towards the person who was at the head of the table, laughing and smiling with her long-time friends.

Looking at the scene right in front of her, it was like high school all over again. A boy staring at his long-time crush, who apparently doesn't notice the boy's constant stares. Even with all the chatter going around, she can't help but think: _Sad, isn't it, Oliver? _

…

"Alright now." Mai stood up from her seat, looking at her two little angels. "It's already 8:30, time for you to go to bed."

Hikari and Kaori pouted. "But we still wanna stay!" They exclaimed, crossing their hands right in front of them.

Mai shook her head in amusement. "It's still Friday tomorrow, y'know. You have school." Mai placed her hands on each of their shoulders, telling them to stand up. "Come on, I will tuck you in once you guys are done with your bath."

The twins looked at each other for a few seconds, then looking up at their mother with those innocent, blue eyes. _Oh boy, not now._ Mai thought. "Maman, can we have a little slumber party?"

Mai simply smiled at her twins. "Yes. You can, but not now. You can have your little slumber party by tomorrow. You can invite some of your friends if you want to."

Hikari and Kaori's eyes lit up in excitement. "Really Maman? REALLY? YAY!" They jumped up from their seat and started running around Mai in circles, shouting 'Slumber Party!' in perfect unison. Mai laughed while the others smiled at the scene. Mai took the twins' hands in hers and started to lead them out. "I'll be right back. You guys can go to my office, or anywhere you like." With that, Mai left the dining room bringing with her some hyperactive twins.

"I say we go to Mai's entertainment room." Bou-san said, shoving his last piece of dessert in his mouth. "I'll certainly beat Yasuhara this time."

Yasuhara smirked at his comment. "Really, Bou-san? As far as I can remember, you've only won _seven times_ when your opponent is me in billiards."

Bou-san's cheeks were tinted red with embarrassment. "No – no way! I've won far more than that!" Bou-san looked at John. "John! I'm sure I've won more than seven times, right? Say it!"

The ex-priest merely smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry mate, I wasn't really counting."

Yasuhara's eyes glinted in mischief. "Ah yes. Of course, John wouldn't be able to keep track of our score Bou-san. He is quite _busy_."

Bou-san caught the gesture and smiled evilly, while John and Masako were blushing furiously. Masako just stood up from her seat and looked at Naru and Lin. "I say we go to Mai's office. Don't you remember? Naru and Lin have something to discuss with us." Masako was looking at the two men like they were her only salvation. Naru nodded and looked at the others. "Yes, we do have something to discuss."

"Oh yeah!" Rika exclaimed. "Mai's office it is! I still need to drop some files on her desk."

Masako nodded. "Let's go then. John."

John nodded and followed his fiancée while the others followed suit. While making their way towards Mai's office, Naru and Lin were looking around. "For a mansion this big, this isn't extravagantly designed. Everything is so simple." Lin commented, looking at different paintings.

"Ah, you know how Mai is." Ayako said. "I did tell her to put more designs, more paintings, more grand chandeliers, more –"

"Oi old hag, this isn't your mansion. Whatever Mai does with this is none of your concern." Bou-san said with a bored tone.

_THWACK!_

Yes, the old times.

…

Naru and Lin were standing at the doorway in Mai's office, taking in their new surroundings, while the others were already lounging at the center table. Three chandeliers provided light for the room. A dark-colored desk was on their far right, situated at the center, with papers scattered above it. Behind the desk were small drawers and on top of it were framed pictures. On their left was a library, shelves were glued to the wall, full with business books.

Mai's home office was simple, but every single thing in the room screamed millions. A library and an office combined into one; it really was a huge room. And again, paintings adorned the walls. They proceeded to join the group. "Wonderful, isn't it?" Rika commented. "I mean, it's not something expected from Mai-chan at all. Everything is kinda dark, but the feel of this office is very … regal, or something similar."

"Does Mai-san love paintings?" Lin asked.

Rika grinned. "She enjoys looking at them because they're unique. The twins though, they love art. They love the classics." She was sorting some papers right in front of her, putting a folder on top of the other. "Every single painting in this mansion is an original."

"Really?" Naru asked, his interest was piqued. "Original paintings could range from hundred thousand to millions." Now, he was truly impressed. _How far has she reached?_

Lin nodded. "Is she even sure that these paintings are real?"

Rika grinned, like how a mischievous Cheshire cat does. "I'm not just her secretary you know. I'm also her personal art verifier." Then she started narrating her life with Mai to the two men.

"Mai-san has really risen to the top, hasn't she?" Lin smiled. He was truly proud of Mai. He somehow knew that Mai would have a bright future, considering her hardworking nature. But it seems that everything that she has done has been returned to her in great amounts.

"If I may ask," Naru suddenly said. "Where's the father of the twins?" He looked at each of his old companions, hoping to get an answer, but there was none. The silence was truly deafening. And he also noticed that everyone was looking at him, like the answer was so obvious.

"You're gonna have to ask her personally Naru." Masako tore through the silence. "We may know the details, but it's still her private life."

Naru was slightly disheartened. "Of course, I understand."

"Now then!" Yasuhara piped up, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Now that you've seen Mai's great office, wanna see something much better?" Yasuhara smirked and averted his attention at the far left of the room, staring at a door. Everyone followed his eyes. Naru and Lin looked at the door with confusion, while the others were staring at it with horror.

"Oi, shounen. Not there. You do know that there are some things that Mai doesn't want us to see." Bou-san reprimanded the young man who's obviously planning something.

"You don't have to worry about it." Rika chimed in, still looking at the papers in front of her. "Some of the, uhh, _photos_ have been moved to a more secure room."

"Photos?" Naru repeated. "What photos?"

Yasuhara stood up and made his way towards the door. "Why don't you see it for yourself?" He grinned and opened the door, making his way inside first. The others followed, except for Rika, who's still organizing some important papers for Mai. Lin noticed this and turned around to look at her. "Sou-san, aren't you coming?"

Rika just smiled and shook her head. "It's okay Lin-san. I'm the one who designed her gallery, so I basically know what's inside." She stapled some papers and placed it inside a folder. Lin just nodded and proceeded to follow the others, who were already inside.

"Our young CEO isn't only a businesswoman; she's also a model of her own fashion line." Yasuhara commented, gesturing to the different photos that are hanged.

Naru looked at the room. It was empty and grey, but it was full of photos of her, making the room bright. His eyes were glued to the largest photo in the room. He made his way towards it and looked at it. She was wearing an all-red business suit which hugged the curves of her body perfectly. Usually, girls would wear something on the inside, like a light blouse or tube top, but Mai wasn't wearing anything. Her jacket was the only thing that covered her upper body. Her cleavage and navel were showing, which made the picture sensual. There were three buttons on the lower part of the jacket, but only one was buttoned to close the jacket around her. Her red skirt has a slit at the side, showing her long, creamy legs. If you were only looking at her, then you'd probably find the picture sexy, but the background made it different. She was standing – more like, walking – in the middle of the street, and her head was turned to the side. The expression on her face wasn't anything close to seductive; it was of sadness, like she was leaving something behind.

"Out of all of us, Mai-san has definitely matured and achieved a lot, hasn't she?" Lin commented, still looking at the picture. "I'm proud of her."

"So am I." Naru replied. _She's grown beautifully these past years._

"Oh my God! What're you all doing here!" Their thoughts were interrupted by a very surprised voice.

Mai looked at Naru and Lin with a very flushed face, obviously embarrassed. She made her way towards them, sputtering nonsense while pulling them to leave the gallery. Masako and Ayako were silently watching from the side-lines, assessing the current situation – wait, scratch that – assessing Oliver Davis' reaction to everything. The boys were looking at Mai's new photo, which they haven't seen yet, and was now giving out their opinions.

"C'mon guys!" Mai called out. "Naru and Lin-san still has some things to talk about!" Mai ushered them out, making sure that the gallery's lights were turned off before she got out. They went back to the lounging area where everything's clean again. "Eh? Where's Rika-chan?" Yasuhara asked.

Mai pointed towards the drawers; still no Rika in sight. "She's filing some papers, probably sitting on the floor."

As soon as they got comfy, they all looked at Naru and Lin. "So, Naru-bou, what was this 'thing' that you wanted to discuss?"

"We came back here with the plans of re-opening SPR again, since the cases here in Japan are far more interesting than in England." He stated, resuming his business tone with his former team. "I have already seen your capability, and your abilities are far more superior than the others. I was hoping, that is if you have the time, to join us whenever we accept cases."

"Oh wow." Yasuhara said. "Naru just complimented us." He looked behind him to stare at the windows. "Has anyone of you checked the weather today? It might literally rain cats and dogs."

Everyone laughed – of course, except for Naru who just smirked and Lin, smiling.

"I'm in." Masako answered, making everyone look at her. "I'm not always that busy, even with the shows that I do. I can work my schedule around."

Naru nodded, pleased that he has a medium on his team. "Anyone else?"

John raised his hand with a smile on his face. "I am an ex-priest, you know." Everyone chuckled at that.

"Count us in too." The now-married couple spoke. Ayako flipped her hair and looked at Naru. "I haven't used my leave at work yet, might as well use it now."

"Psh." Bou-san snorted. "You just want to skip work, afraid that you'll get infected with some disease or what."

_THWACK!_

"I am _not_ that kind of doctor!"

Bou-san rolled his eyes. "Yeah right."

"Now now, let's all settle down." John was trying to diffuse the argument that was starting to escalate. But alas, like the old times, he was still ignored. He sighed, waiting for that _one sound_ to stop the noise.

Naru sighed and cleared his throat, successfully silencing the two. "Are you done now?" The couple looked away from each other and nodded. Naru looked at Yasuhara and Mai. "How about you two?"

Yasuhara smiled sheepishly. "Yep, I can still provide you with information and all. That's what I do best, right?" Naru smiled lightly, pleased that Yasuhara can still join. His information gathering skills are pretty impressive. Naru looked at Mai, who was smiling apologetically at him. "I assume you're going to say no?" He was starting to feel disappointed.

"I'm gonna say no to secretarial work, obviously." The others laughed at that. "But, I can provide you guys with anything that you might need. Uhh, transportation, or maybe financing or something."

"I'll say yes to the transportation!" Ayako instantly shouted.

"Oi! Shut up you old hag! You just wanna use Mai's limo!" Bou-san reprimanded the red-haired woman.

"She was _offering_ it!"

"Doesn't give you an excuse to instantly _accept_ the offer! Have you ever heard of being humble?"

"It would be _impolite_ if we dec –"

"So anyway …" As soon as they heard _that_ voice, the couple instantly shut their mouths. They totally recognize that tone from her voice. It was the 'I'm-irritated-we-must-continue-the-business-immediately' tone.

"Don't these guys ever learn?" Yasuhara mumbled.

Glad that the ordeal's over, she continued. "And also Naru, if you're stuck with the case or something, you can always send me the most recent picture of the entire house."

"You can see visions of the past just by looking at a recent photo?" Lin asked. "That's something new from you Mai-san."

"Hehehe." Her cheeks are getting flushed again, and in secret, Naru enjoys the view. "I know. But, I honestly don't know how it came about, you know. I was looking at Rika's old photo albums that she brought with her at the dorm when we were in Harvard. Everytime I touch a photo that has the full view of the house, I'd see small images. At first, I just ignored it. But there was this one time when I accidentally touched the photo of my classmate with their newly bought house right behind her, then the next thing I know, I was inside their house, watching the past."

"You should've seen Lina's face when Mai told her that there's a spirit in their house." Rika suddenly cut in the conversation, taking a seat beside Mai. "At first, she never believed Mai, saying that paranormal stuffs aren't real. But when their house started going crazy –"

"What do you mean by crazy?" Naru asked, his eyebrows slightly raised.

"You know, things floating around, plants dying in one day, banging on the doors, windows cracking – all that stuff." Rika shrugged.

"What happened next?" Lin prompted.

"Lina kept on pestering Mai for a couple of days, asking her about the craziness in their house. Then Mai told her about the original owners of the house and advised her to ask their house agent about it."

"So, what did the agent say?" Naru prompted this time.

"The only records that the agent had at that time were, like 10 years ago, not 67 years ago. So when the agent did a background check, he was so shocked that he apologized to Lina's family and promised to find them a new house. End of story." Rika stopped, trying to catch her breath. "Lina was very thankful to Mai though." Rika rolled her eyes. "She started telling every person she knows that Mai was psychic and that they're, ehem, _best friends_."

Mai scrunched her nose, making her look adorable. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"She was clinging to you because of the fact that her crush was hitting on you!" Rika said.

"So …" Naru interrupted, hoping to steer the conversation back, and it worked. "I can still count on you then?"

Mai smiled. "Yep! I can go with you guys sometimes, but that'll be like, once in every 3 months. Depends on my schedule, really."

Naru nodded. "It's okay, you don't have to bother."

"Ah! Lin-san!" Mai piped up suddenly. She stood up and walked towards Lin, holding her elegant hand out. "I have two numbers, you see, one for work and one for my personal and close contacts. I changed my number as soon as I got back from Massachusetts. I'll give you both my numbers, plus Rika, in case you can't reach me."

Lin smiled at the girl, which made Mai blush, considering that during those times that they've been together, he rarely smiled at all. Lin fished his phone out of his pocket and gave it to her. She punched in her and Rika's numbers. "There! Done!" She gave it back to Lin and sat back down.

"So, is there anything else you want to talk about Naru?" Masako asked. Naru shook his head.

"Well then, time for the drinks!" Yasuhara cheered and high-fived Bou-san.

"Yes yes." Rika stood up and grabbed Mai's elbow, dragging her to her desk.

"Oi! Where are you bringing Mai-chan?" Yasuhara asked, curious about Rika's actions.

Rika pushed Mai down to her leather chair and placed some files right in front of her. "I'm sorry Yasu-kun but Mai can't get drunk _or_ get a hangover tonight." Mai was looking at the folders like they were cursed or something. "She has three –" she raised three fingers up to emphasize her point "- _three_ meetings to attend tomorrow."

Yasuhara scrunched his face in disgust. "That's _awful_."

"And _you_," Mai looked up to see Rika's expression, which was like a teacher reprimanding a small child to do something. "Start reviewing these files." Mai sighed and nodded dejectedly. She looked up and smiled sheepishly towards the group. "Sorry guys. I need to do this." She took one folder and started reading it.

"Now, where are the drinks?" Rika grinned.

…

Mai's office was once again filled with laughter and _slurred_ conversations. But Mai didn't really mind the noise. She got used to concentrating even with noise on the background because of the twins. She placed the folder back on the table and reached for her pen. Just when she was about to sign the paper, a dark shadow loomed over her. She smiled. She didn't even bother to look up and continued to sign the paper. "Hello Naru."

Naru smirked. "I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

Mai shook her head and took another folder from the file, reading it. "Nope, not at all." Sensing that she won't be adding anymore answers, he walked towards the drawers which were full of framed photos. "You and your kids travel a lot." He took one framed photo and stared at it.

She stood up from her chair and walked closer towards Naru, also looking at the picture. He could practically smell her lavender scent from where she was standing. He had this sudden urge to pull her closer. "Ah, this picture was taken last year in Rome. They absolutely love art."

"Considering all the art placed around your mansion, it's not that hard to know." He placed the frame back to its position and smirked at his former secretary.

Mai rolled her eyes. "Always the narcissist, aren't you." She returned to her chair and picked up the file that she was reading earlier.

"If you don't mind me saying this but, every picture in here shows you and the twins." Naru was looking at the back of her head, not minding that she wasn't looking back at him.

Mai's eyes were frozen on one sentence, shocked at his sudden question. She could hear the hidden question behind that sentence. She wasn't expecting for this to happen so soon. She sighed and placed the folder back down. She looked at the chattering group right in front of her, seeing if they were looking at their direction. Noticing that no one's watching, she rose from her chair and stood directly in front of Naru.

"They're 5 years old, going 6, two months from now." Mai was staring directly into Naru's ocean-filled eyes with graveness in her voice.

If you try to look closely, you could see Naru's eyes narrow slightly. And if only the room wasn't filled with happy noise, you could clearly hear his heartbeat, beating fast every second.

Mai could see the slight changes in his expression. She was waiting, waiting for him to say anything.

Naru could clearly remember that night 6 years ago, the day before he left for England. He went to Mai's apartment, personally giving her Letter of Recommendation. His plan was to give and then leave. But when Mai opened her apartment door, she was wearing only a big baggy shirt that made her look seductive, her flushed face probably from crying and her red, swollen lips. He suddenly had this sinking feeling in his stomach, to hold her and help her in any way he can. So he did the first thing that was on his mind; to kiss her. It started off slowly, knowing that both parties weren't really experienced. He was supposed to – _supposed_ to step away, but when Mai created this sound, he couldn't stop. The next thing he knows, he was sleeping in an unfamiliar place. He looked at the brunette sleeping right beside him. Guilt washed over his entire body. He didn't know what to do. So he did, what he thought, was the next best thing; to leave. During the plane ride back to England, he tried to keep his thoughts away from Mai, sincerely hoping that the muddiness in his mind would go away some time. So, during his entire stay in England, he buried himself in work. Even his parents noticed his unusual mood. Lin though, had his own speculations, but decided to keep it to himself.

She could see the different emotions swirling in his eyes; it was like she was watching a PowerPoint Presentation. Shock, guilt, sadness … then longing. She didn't know what those meant, but she didn't need to know now. "Nar –"

"What's the father's name." It didn't sound like a question to her at all. It was more of like … a confirmation to his suspicious thoughts.

She took another step forward. She knew that she was stepping into his private space, but she didn't care. They were close, close enough for Naru to reach out to her. Mai was still aware of what's happening around her, and she could still hear the chatter on the lounging area. If any one of them were to look at their side, they could instantly sense the tense atmosphere. But then again, she didn't care. They knew that Mai was going to have to fess up one day, and this was the day.

Mai looked at Naru, her stare unwavering. Then, she whispered, "Their father's name is Oliver Davis. He went here to Japan a couple of years ago to look for his brother's body. As soon as he found his twin's body, he left immediately left for England." Mai looked at Naru for a few seconds before speaking again. "You know how to contact me. I have a busy day tomorrow." Before going back to her seat, she gave him a smile.

Naru just watched her form. Before he could do anything stupid, he went back to the group and looked at Lin. "Lin, it's already late. We still have a long day tomorrow." Lin looked at his charge with a baffled expression, knowing that something was wrong. _I can surmise that it's about the conversation he had with Mai-san._ He looked at everyone then nodded. "I guess we'll see everyone soon?" Some of them smiled, while the others nodded.

John and Masako stood up also. "We think we'll also leave early for today."

"John, Masako," Mai called, looking up from her file. "Do you want me to arrange a ride for you today? Otou-san and Okaa-san aren't going home tonight. They wanted to spend some time with the twins tomorrow. Rika-chan and Yasu-kun still have some work here; they'll be spending the night here too."

Masako smiled in appreciation. "Thank you Mai." John bowed. "Thank you for your concern Mai-san. Ah, and you don't have to see us out. You're very busy, as always."

Mai scratched the back of her head in shame. "I'm terribly sorry, Naru, Lin-san. I still need to finish reviewing and signing some of these damned papers here."

"No problem at all Mai-san." Lin smiled at her. "I was even thinking we were disturbing your reading earlier."

Mai shook her head and waved her hands, clearly disagreeing. "Oh! No no, Lin-san! Definitely not! With the twins running around the mansion, noise isn't something that can distract me easily."

Lin watched her antics in amusement. Clearly, she was still nervous around him. He can't blame her though. He was very aloof towards her during those days in SPR. "That's good Mai-san."

"We'll be taking our leave then." Naru said. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Mai smiled. "Sleep well Naru. Lin-san." She turned towards the engaged couple. "You too, John, Masako."

And on that note, their reunion night ended, with a girl finally feeling free and a boy feeling like the entire world was on his shoulders.

_I wonder what tomorrow brings._ She thought while sinking herself into more work.

…

**Now this chapter was hard to write. **

**I know that I was supposed to write a dinner scene, but instead I cut it short and made an office scene instead. And Mai's confession came too early to. But you guys don't have to worry. I have other plans for this story :] And I **_**do**_** hope that you'll be enjoying the next chapters, since it'll be about the twins and Naru. Just … trust me :D **

**So, I'll give you guys another chapter tomorrow, mmkay? :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	4. Chapter 4

**Because of these amazing people, I am always motivated to write a new chapter. THANK YOU SO MUCH :]**

**Urdyonlione  
xSapphirexRosesxFanx  
Alexkitkat  
WitchWarren  
Yugure no bara  
Kumiko Masa  
dreamingwandererofthelight  
zerocchi  
Chrysanthia-Sunshine  
crimsonplay  
Yamamoto Misumi**

**And to the 3 'Guests' who gave me some reviews, thank you :] **

**Sooooooo, I present to you, CHAPTER FOUR :]**

…

"She finally said it, didn't she?" Masako was slowly eating her cereal, thinking about last night's events. "The look on his face; it was absolutely unreadable."

"Must've been quite a shock for Naru-san." John replied, slowly pouring milk onto his fiancee's glass.

"And Mai," Masako added, placing her spoon back at the bowl and staring at it. "I could see that she was … relieved."

John took his seat right in front of Masako. "Well, she has been carrying that secret for six years, hasn't she? Of course, she'd feel relieved."

Masako stared into John's eyes. "But, what of Naru? What do you think he'll do?"

John looked outside their window, watching birds fly by and how the sun made everything so much brighter. "It's up to him now. To earn the trust that he has lost, he must work for it."

…

"Are there any questions?" Her business face unwavering in front of these drooling men. "If you don't have any inquiries," She made her way towards her laptop and closed it. "then you're all dismissed."

She kept her professional face on even though her subordinates were giving her compliments about her amazing presentation. As soon as the last person left the room, she sighed heavily, pulled one chair from the table then plopped herself into it, right elbow placed on the arm chair. She massaged the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. _This isn't good._

"Want some aspirin for that incoming head pound?"

She looked up and saw Rika with a sympathetic smile on her face. "Why don't we eat outside? Have some fresh air or anything that might make you feel better."

Mai shook her head and placed her head on her hands. "Just call for a take-out Rika. I don't feel like basking under the sun's heat today." She looked at Rika again. "Did I get any calls while I was here?"

Rika stood up straight and shifted her weight to her right leg. "From your work phone, you got two calls – Kawasumi-san and Taninori-san."

"Why did they call?"

"They wanted to arrange another meeting with you. It seems that they're done designing the back-drop for the next fashion show."

Mai nodded. "That's good news. Any other important calls?"

"I got a call from Naru."

"And?"

Rika looked at her boss. Her face expression hasn't changed. _She must be really tired._ "Actually, he didn't call on your work phone or personal phone. He contacted me and asked for your work schedule for today and tomorrow. Instead of telling him, I just said that you'll be free on Sunday."

Mai smirked. _That must've caught Naru off-guard._ "I'm so proud of you Rika-chan." Mai looked up and also saw an evil smirk on Rika's face. Rika looked at her and winked. "I learned from the best."

Mai stood up and straightened her suit. "So, about that take-out …"

"On it boss!"

…

Lin was in his office as usual, typing on his laptop. They had finished setting up the place in the morning and was now officially open. His workload had been doubled, considering the fact that they don't have – or rather – their former secretary was now running her multi-million yen company. Lin sighed and started stapling some papers. Even though the task is tiring, Lin's brain wasn't registering his weariness over the double workload. It was about last night's conversation with his young charge.

_As soon as they stepped inside the van, big water droplets fell on the windshield, signalling the occupants of the van for an incoming heavy rain; and a heavy rain was it indeed. The road was barely visible, so they had to drive slowly._

_The passenger sighed. "It's like England all over again."_

"_Yeah, except that we aren't in England." The driver replied. He knew that something was wrong with his companion, but he also didn't need a raging young man beside him who could possibly blow up the car in a couple of seconds, so he stayed quiet. _

"_What would you do, Lin?"_

_He was pretty sure that Naru didn't say anything else before that. "If what, Noll?"_

_Naru groaned and placed his head on his right hand. He stayed silent, not bothering to answer Lin's question. He didn't want to hear what he already knew. _

"_This is about Mai-san, isn't it Noll?" _

_Naru didn't answer. He knew that Lin had his own suspicions; his guardian wasn't stupid. He just wished that the rain would stop so that they could go reach the apartment faster. _

"_And her twins." Lin added._

_Naru stiffened. Lin noticed. 'Ah, the landmine.' "Their similarity to your facial features is quite … uncanny, Noll." He commented._

_And still, Oliver stayed quiet. _

"_So you went to Mai-san's apartment that night when –"_

"_Will you keep your thoughts to yourself Lin?" Lin could sense the venom dripping in his companion's words. 'Why don't you keep your hands to yourself next time?' Lin wanted to retort, but decided to bite his tongue. _

_Halfway through their journey, the downpour hadn't ceased. Despite the strained silence inside the van, Naru took comfort in listening to the heavy rain, it somehow reflected his currently heavyweight heart. There's absolutely no point in knowing what's going through his mind right now, because all he could think about is Mai and the twins – his twins – his flesh and blood. _

"_I'd make it up to them for the rest of my life, that's what I'd do." Lin said._

_Naru agreed inwardly, still staying silent. But then again, Mai has already given the twins everything – an insanely large roof above their heads, a wonderful education, amazing grandparents, uncles, and aunts, a secure future. What else could he offer?_

_Throughout the slow ride, he kept on thinking, but no suitable answer came up. If he wanted to be a – no, scratch that. Not 'IF'. He _really_ wanted to be a part of their life; to be a part of the twins' life, to be a part of Mai's life. He wanted to stay there for as long as he could. He has to at least offer something, but alas, still no answer came in his genius mind. And for the first time, questions were left unanswered, and only one person could provide it for him._

_Both were thankful that the condominium they stayed in had an underground parking lot. They didn't have to bother running around like apes under the rain. They made their way towards the elevator, determined to reach their safe haven. No words were exchanged during their short trek. As they got inside their condo, Lin turned to face Naru, who was already making his way towards his bedroom._

"_You're gonna have to tell your parents Noll, whether you like it or not."_

_His young charge simply stopped in his tracks, nodded slightly, then left for his room. Lin sighed, feeling stressed over the situation. 'I wonder what'll happen next.' Was his last thought before making his way towards his sanctuary._

Lin let out a rather long sigh of weariness over everything. It wasn't also surprising that during their lunch break today, Naru asked for Rika's number. He wanted to ask why he was asking for Rika's number instead of Mai's, but then he remembered that Mai had a meeting today. He didn't know what time but he was sure that Naru didn't want to disturb the CEO, knowing that she'll be attending three meetings today. He thought that Naru would wait for him to be alone before calling Mai's secretary, but as soon as he gave Rika's number to him, he instantly called her. He listened to his one-sided conversation and instantly knew that Naru wanted to meet Mai. '_Good thing he didn't decide to barge into Mai's office._'

On the right side of Lin's office wall is (a bat cave. Hahahahaha! JK :D) a room with insufficient lighting. The blinds were closed and the main light was turned off, with the exception of the desk lamp. The occupant was in his leather chair, holding up a file that he wasn't really reading.

Naru knew that he needed to do some work but his mind would force itself to drift elsewhere. He sighed heavily then placed the folder back in his desk. He stood up and walked towards the window in his office. He pulled a string and his window blinds moved to one side, revealing the heat from the afternoon sun. He stared at the clouds that were somehow painted yellow by the sun behind them. As he was about to return the blinds to its original place, he heard the office bell tinkle. _Finally, a distraction._ He left it open and went out of his office, only to be greeted by two little girls, staring at the office like it was some kind of horror house.

He was so intent in staring at the girls that he didn't notice Lin step out of his office. Lin was kind of surprised to see the twins today. "Hikari-chan, Kaori-chan, what are you doing here?" Lin asked in his most polite tone.

Naru snapped out of it and stepped closer to the twins, who were still staring at the lounging area where he'd interview potential clients. "Don't you have school today?" He asked, hoping to avert their attention to him. Well, it did work but it didn't last for long. They slipped past him and walked inside his office, doing the same thing they did; stare at it. He was starting to get irritated, what with all the frustration inside his brain, but he decided against it. These two are _his_ daughters. He had to know what they're doing in his office at this time of the day. And who brought them here anyway?

His question was answered though. The office bell tinkled the second time around, revealing the red-haired miko and grinning monk. "Yo! Naru-bou! Lin-san!" He looked around but didn't see two black-haired twins. "Eh? Where are they? We already bought their ice cream."

Naru glared at them, thinking that _his_ children were skipping school because of these two. "They're in my office. Now, why aren't they at school?"

Ayako plopped herself onto the couch, crossed her legs and flipped her red hair. "Jeez, chill Naru. Every Friday, the kids only have morning classes. They're free in the afternoon." Bou-san sat beside his wife, still holding two cups full of ice cream. "They would usually roam around Mai's building, playing pranks on the employees, but since –"

"ICE CREAM!" The twins shouted, emerging from Lin's office. Bou-san grinned and held them out for the twins. "Hurry up and eat them. They're melting."

They nodded and plopped on Naru's sofa, slowly eating the ice cream.

Naru and Lin took the couch across Ayako and Bou-san. "So, what brings you two here?" Lin asked.

Ayako shrugged. "We just came to visit, that's all. The twins didn't have anything in mind so we just brought them here."

"Bou-san, can you please continue what you're saying earlier?" Naru inquired.

The monk's eyes lit up. "Ah yes. Well you see, since Mai has a meeting today, the twins decided to just roam around instead of playing pranks with Mai's employees."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "Playing pranks?"

Bou-san grinned. "Yes, although the employees absolutely welcome the distraction from all their tedious work."

"And Mai allows this?"

Ayako and Bou-san nodded. "Yep, as long as Claude is with them and they're inside the building, Mai doesn't mind."

"We're done!" The twins shouted, raising their cups.

Ayako smiled, ruffled their hair then took the cups from their little hands. "Good girls. Now, what do you want to do?"

The four adults looked expectantly towards the twins. They tilted their head to one side, and then smiled. "Can we have papers please? And pencils and erasers. We wanna draw." Lin nodded and stood up to gather the things while Naru stayed where he was.

"Oh God." Ayako and Bou-san mumbled.

The twins were smiling and swinging their legs back and forth, humming some lullaby that Naru didn't recognize.

"Naru."

He looked at the couple and saw that they had this grave look on their faces. "What is it?"

Bou-san simply stood up and said 'follow me'. Bou-san went into Naru's office with Naru following behind him, then closed the door gently. Bou-san sighed and looked straight into Naru's eyes. "What's wrong Bou-san?"

"Would you be opposed to a total make-over of your office?" He said those words bluntly, like it was some joke. He kept on staring at the monk, but his grave expression didn't even waver.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naru asked, his eyebrows slightly meeting at the center.

"Did you see the twins' smile earlier?"

Naru nodded. "Yes. They're happy."

Bou-san narrowed his eyes and vehemently shook his head that made it seem like he was about to get a whiplash. "No! They're not!" He whispered. "Well, yes. They are. But it's a different kind of happy smile!" He explained.

Naru was starting to get impatient. He didn't know what was happening. "Well then will you please enlighten me to what's happening?" He crossed his arms right in front of him.

"Did they come in here and stare at every office like it was a god-forsaken place?"

He slightly raised his eyebrows at this. _How did he know?_ "Yes, they did."

"Because that means they find this place, or rather, _your_ entire office unattractive!" He whispered in a raspy voice. "They had that same look when they visited ours and John's place. They re-designed every room that was, quote and quote, 'wretched-looking'. We had to stay at Mai's mansion for a couple of days because of that. After everything was re-designed, we were very pleased. They only consulted us once to look at their drawing."

"So, what's the problem? The result is obviously very satisfactory. I don't see the point in getting stre –"

"Naru!" Bou-san interrupted him, shaking Naru's shoulders. Bou-san's eyes were looking rather … scared? "Those kids are highly intelligent. But they're still kids! The moment you refuse, they _will_ cry and call for Mai and Claude. One time, Yasuhara refused and they ended up crying _all_ _day_! It's absolutely hard to placate those kids without their voice of reason, which is Mai! You're in _deep_ trouble when that drawing's finished!" Bou-san finally finished, breathing heavily, like someone was chasing him.

He cleared his throat and took his hands off of Naru, who was now looking quite … confused and frustrated. "Mai has a meeting today, if they cry, whether or not Mai's in Japan or in her office, they will call for her. So I'll ask you again, will you allow those two to re-design your entire office?"

…

"So, what are you two drawing?" Ayako asked, even though she somehow knew the answer to the question already.

"A new office." The twins said, who are still focused in drawing on one of the papers.

"A new office?" Lin asked. "Which office?"

Ayako gulped while the twins looked at him like he was some deranged man. "_This _office!"

"You shouldn't have asked that." Ayako mumbled. Lin looked at her with a confused look on his face. Ayako simply pointed at her ear, telling Lin to just listen.

Hikari stood up and tapped her pencil against the wall. "_This_ kind of color for your office is absolutely_ hideous_!"

Kaori, who was still drawing on the piece of paper, nodded in approval. "Definitely _and_ absolutely hideous." She repeated.

"_What_ kind of office paints their walls _white?_" Hikari flailed her hands in the air just to prove her point.

"A mental institute and a hospital." Kaori deadpanned, still skilfully drawing on the paper.

Lin winced at her answer. He did somehow agree, mental institutes and hospitals did paint their walls white.

Hikari tapped her pencil against her chin and looked at Lin, who was looking at her with no expression on his face. "Ano, Uncle Koujo?"

Lin smiled in acknowledgement. "Yes?" He had to refrain himself from saying a name because he honestly can't distinguish which one's Hikari and Kaori.

"What do your clients do when they come in here?" She asked with those wide and innocent blue eyes.

Lin cleared his throat before answering. "Well, they just sit down and tell us about their problems."

"Problems that pertain to paranormal stuff, right?" Lin nodded in reply.

"So, what do they exactly do?" Hikari asked again. "I mean, uhh, there's an exact term for this." Hikari started to pace back and forth behind Naru's couch.

"Mannerisms." Kaori replied.

Hikari's eyes lit up in excitement. "Yes! Mannerisms! That's it! Thank you Kaori."

Kaori grinned. "You're welcome."

Lin watched the exchanged in total amusement. They may be Naru's children, but it seems that their personality was taken from Mai, to which he was kind of relieved, considering Naru's attitude towards other people. Mai definitely did do a good job in raising them, even without the father.

"What are you youngsters up to this time?" Bou-san's voice floated into the air.

The twins looked at him and ran towards his legs, clinging onto them for dear life. "Grandpere! Grandpere!"

"Hai?" Bou-san replied with enthusiasm. He knows what they're doing; he just likes the way they cuddle onto him.

Their smiles literally lit up their faces, which would make it practically hard to resist anything that they may ask. "We're gonna redecorate the entire office!" They said in unison.

"Oho?" Bou-san looked at Naru who was just right behind him all the time. "Have you asked the owner of the office if he'll allow you to change the office?"

"We don't need to." The twins said.

Bou-san raised his eyebrows. "Eh? Why not?"

The twins let go of Bou-san's legs and looked at him straight in the eye. Then slowly, an evil smirk appeared in their faces. In this moment, it is without a doubt, that they're faces looked exactly like their father. The adult occupants in the room could feel the tension rising.

"Even if the owner of the _office_ said no," Hikari started.

"_We_ could still make it happen." Kaori continued.

Hikari raised her right index finger. "With money –"

Kaori copied her sister's actions. "- and power,"

They connected their fingers and their smirk turned into an evil grin. "We can make this building _ours_ in _less_ than a day."

With Naru's intelligence combined with Mai's intelligence on business, these twins would someday become figures not to be reckoned with.

Bou-san tried to ease the tension by grinning and patting their heads. "Now now, you don't wanna waste the money your mother has been working hard. Why don't you just ask the owner? I'm pretty sure, if you ask very nicely, he'll say yes."

"Really?" Their innocent faces are back on, gone are the evil-scheming-smiles. "Where is he?" Bou-san just pointed behind him.

The twins ran towards Naru and looked at him with those blue eyes that mirrored his. Tilting their heads to one side, blinking, and then staring. Naru was starting to feel uncomfortable with those stares. The pair just smiled and took both of his hands, effectively startling the young man. He smiled softly at them. "What is it?"

"Can we _please_ decorate your office Uncle Kazuya?" Begged the twins in their sugary sweet tone.

_STAB._

_They probably don't know that I'm their father, thus the 'Uncle'._ Naru thought. He bent down and squeezed their hands. "Of course. As long as you don't spend your mother's money, then I accept."

"YAY!" The twins stepped closer and hugged Naru, who in return smiled affectionately and squeezed them a little. The little angels turned around, a single arm around Naru's neck, and looked at the monk. "See Grandpere! We get to redecorate the office!" Then they started running around Naru, screaming 'Decorate!' in perfect sync.

"I'm actually looking forward to this 'newly redecorated office'." Ayako commented, a small smile plastered on her face. She looked at Lin who was looking at the twins with mild amusement and shock. "Are you?"

In the background, you can hear Bou-san lightly reprimanding the children for running around in a place full of dangerous stuffs. Lin looked at Ayako and smirked. "I am. The office does seem a bit dull. I might tell Madoka about this."

She raised an elegant eyebrow at that. "Are you gonna tell her about them?"

Lin shook his head, looking at Naru whose eyes were clearly dancing with pure delight and affection. "No. He has to do it himself."

Ayako nodded at this. "I agree with that." Then, something clicked in her head. She took her phone from her purse and typed a message that was to be sent to Rika and Masako.

_Message Sent_

…

Rika was in Mai's office, placing new folders that need to be reviewed and signed by the young CEO. She looked at her watch. _6:55_, _they'll be done in 5mins. I'll go check Mai's phones for calls that I may have missed while I was away … and mine too._ She hurriedly went back to her office desk and pulled out a drawer, revealing three phones. She checked Mai's phones first. _Nada._ When she checked her phone, there was one unread message. She opened it and it was from Ayako. _3:47PM_. While reading her message, her eyes slowly widened while letting the new information sink in. _This is gonna be fun!_ She thought happily.

She jogged her way towards the conference room that Mai was in. As she stepped out of the elevator, she could see Mai's employees slowly stepping out of the room. _You absolutely have great timing Mai._ She made her way towards the room, instantly seeing Mai in the middle, still looking beautiful while saying goodbye to some people. But if you look closely, her eyes were tired. _I just hope that this news would make her feel a bit better._

"Mai-san!" Rika waved her right hand.

As soon as Mai heard her secretary, she immediately excused herself, finally escaping these men's clutches. "Thank God you're here." Mai whispered. "I could feel my face muscles tense up from smiling forcefully."

"I have news for you!" Rika squeaked.

"Oh? It must be good news then, since you're giddy and all that." They were making their way towards the elevator. Mai was hoping that they'd be alone, hoping for some good space, and a good space did she get.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Mai stared at her secretary. "So, what's this good news Rika?"

"You see, I got a text from Ayako this afternoon, although I just read it a couple of minutes ago." She was fidgeting, probably from happiness.

"So, what did she say?" Mai asked. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, making their way to Mai's office.

"Bou-san and Ayako brought the twins to the SPR office this afternoon. And then the twins had _the look_ on their faces. So they started drawing and finally decided to redecorate the entire SPR office!" Rika exclaimed excitedly. "Ooooh! I can't wait to see this! Aren't you Mai?" When she turned her head to the left, she couldn't see Mai anymore. "Mai?" She turned around and saw her friend having this dead look on her face. _Maybe redecorating Naru's office isn't such a good idea._

"_THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT?.!"_ Mai shrieked, effectively deafening Rika for a few seconds. Then Mai started mumbling about 'millions gone', 'buildings bought by mere children'.

Rika wasn't happy anymore. She could understand the _dire_ of the situation. If Naru was as stubborn as Mai described him before, then the twins were either crying right now or …

"Oh God." Rika moaned. _Super intelligent people and their riches._

…

**Another chapter done! Phew. Don't worry, this little misunderstanding will be solved. Wanna have some fluff between Naru and Mai this time? :D Hahahahaha!**

**Oh yeah, one question: Why is it that when I combine an exclamation point and a question mark, the last punctuation mark disappears? Can somebody help me with this? :\ Help is greatly appreciated! :D**

**Author's Note:  
BTW guys, my father just arrived from a business trip and my parents are planning to go somewhere tomorrow. I might not be able to post a new chapter tomorrow :\ The plan's still not sure, soo, yeah. That's it. And, I'm sorry for the late upload. I woke up late today, hahahaha! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey there everyone! :]**

**Okay, so first things first:  
I am so sorry for not updating yesterday. Me and my family went out of town. I thought that we wouldn't be staying long there 'cuz my Mom doesn't really like travelling at night. But uhh, during our travel, we would hear something like uhh, grumbling noises whenever my Dad would step on the brakes. So we had to slow down 'till we reach the next city. By the time we got there, we went to the nearest car shop and the man told us that we had to wait 'till 5:30PM before we can get our car back. So there, slow trips all the way -.-**

**Another thing, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to all those wonderful readers who reviewed my story :] I'm sorry if I couldn't post your names here right now since I really need to encode the new chapter right now :[**

**Okay everyone, this is CHAPTER FIVE :] Enjoy!**

…

Rika flipped her phone shut and looked at her boss with tired eyes.

"Well?" Mai asked, anxiousness clear in her voice.

Rika shook her head. "There weren't any payments or money transfers made for today. The last payment that you made – which was last week - was when you bought tickets for Boston for the twins' birthday. And the last money transfer was when you gave Claude his salary."

Mai nodded. "Good. How about my account? Did they freeze it?"

"They're still on it."

Mai nodded again. She looked through the tinted glass of the limousine, staring at nothing. Her mind was working, thinking of ways to dissuade the twins to not buy the building where SPR resided or if they already made a deal with the owner, hopefully she could offer a much better deal than the twins.

They felt the car stop. Mai looked outside and saw the door with 'Shibuya Psychic Research' written on it. She immediately left the car, running her way towards SPR.

Rika was about to follow but then her phone rang. "Ah crap." She looked at the number and it was from the bank. She opened her phone and pressed it to her ear. "Any good news?"

…

_Screw the person who created heels!_ Mai thought as she was jogging her way up the stairs. Her legs were starting to ache from all the running that she did today. As she reached the last step, she reached forward with her right hand and grabbed the door knob, effectively turning it clockwise and opening the door. She was out of breath and she was pretty sure that she looked like a witch right now with her hair standing in every direction. She looked at the office with one eye open, still huffing and puffing from the tiring exercise.

"Thank God …" She dropped herself to the floor. Her legs were already unable to support her. She clutched her chest, trying to regain some of her breath. Since she was looking at the floor, she didn't see the person who came out of a door. She heard an unfinished sentence of greeting and the next thing she knew, she was being carried bridal style and was placed onto a couch. She heard someone call for Naru's name. _Ah, Lin-san._ She wanted to greet the tall man but she was still trying to regain her breathing.

"Mai?"

She looked up and there he was bending on one knee, his blue eyes full of concern. "Are you okay? What're you doing here?" He placed a hand on her knee which sent little electric shocks up and down her body, but she ignored those. She needed to know where the owner lives and where the twins are. She opened her mouth to start asking Naru but was interrupted when Rika called out to her.

"Mai!" Rika made her way towards Mai in three strides. "The bank already freezed your account until tomorrow evening." She said it all in one breath then plopped herself onto the nearest couch.

Naru narrowed his eyes at that. "Mai, what's happening?" He looked at her with a stern stare.

"Lin-san." She breathed out. "Water, please."

Lin immediately stood up and went to kitchen. Naru seemed a bit peeved at being ignored, but decided to wait. He looked at Mai's current state. It was obvious that she ran all the way up here. The first two buttons of her blouse were unbuttoned, revealing creamy looking skin. He started to wonder what he would see if the third button was – _Gah, damn hormones._ He saw her take the glass from Lin and swallow everything in four big gulps. Lin took Naru's couch. She leaned against the couch and looked at him.

"Naru, who's the owner of this building?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Naru furrowed his eyebrows.

"Naru!" Mai exclaimed and took his hand that was still on her knees, and squeezed it. "The twins! Did they buy this building?!" She was looking at him with urgency in her eyes.

Naru simply raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Why would they do that?"

"Because you refused to let them decorate your office!"

Naru knew that it was rude to laugh right in front of someone's face, he wasn't raised poorly after all; he does have manners. So he did, what he thought, was the less conspicuous action – to cover his incoming laugh with a cough. But with Mai's sudden growth of intelligence, she saw through it.

Oh, how she wanted to rip the larynx out of this man and stab him seven times through his heart. Her eyes instantly flashed with anger. "Oliver." She spat.

Lin and Rika sensed the incoming danger. Rika started shrinking away. _The last time she got this angry was when the HR Department submitted that 'New Recruits' file._ She shuddered at the memory. Lin, on the other hand, wanted to laugh and at the same time fix the misunderstanding. "Mai-san." He called out.

The angry woman transferred her full-blown glare towards the Chinese man. "What."

Lin smiled, trying to calm Mai. "I'm sorry if _Noll_ here –" He glared at his young charge who slightly – _very slightly_ – winced at the tone of his guardian. "- seems to find your hysteria quite amusing."

Mai softened her glare at Lin, but she was still scowling. "But we would like to rebut your assumption. Noll didn't refuse the twins about their plan in redecorating the office. Even I am excited about how the office would look like."

Mai's eyes widened in understanding and started blinking a lot. "So, no millions wasted on my account?" She started staring off into space. "No angry lawyers or owners. No meeting cancellations." She returned her eyes back to Lin who was looking at her. She lunged forward and hugged Lin with all her might, completely ignoring Naru. "Oh my God, thank you so much!"

Lin didn't know what to do in this awkward situation, so he simply patted her back and smiled. "You're welcome Mai-san."

"Mai."

Mai turned around and saw the signature Naru-glare. She just rolled her eyes. "What?" She deadpanned. She was still angry with him.

"Come with me." He left his place and entered his office, leaving the door open for Mai to enter.

Mai glared at his door, hoping for the damned thing to burn. "I'll be right back." She announced and made her way towards Naru's office, mumbling about 'controlling narcissists."

Rika, who was simply watching the entire ordeal, looked at Naru's door with concern.

"They'll be alright." Rika slightly jumped and looked at Lin who was giving her a comforting smile.

Rika blushed. _Damn, he's handsome. But I think he's taken._ "Are … are you sure? They're not going to kill each other, right?" She started fiddling with her skirt. "I don't wanna take over the company!" She exclaimed.

Lin chuckled and stood up. "You may hear some screaming but don't worry about it. Now, I assume you guys haven't had dinner yet?"

Rika's blush deepened and Lin took notice of this. He knew what he was doing to the young woman. Rika shook her head. "N – n – no. We – we haven't."

Lin stepped closer to her and held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Rika grinned with a blush still on her cheeks. "Let's."

Then the two silently left the office but not without Lin leaving a sticky note on Naru's door.

…

"Mai, stop glaring."

"Why? Am I not allowed?"

"No. You're being childish."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Not."

"Yes."

"Not."

Naru sighed. He wasn't gonna get anything from this woman if she's like this. "Mai."

"What?" She was standing near the door, arms crossed, and lips pouting. She wasn't looking at him either. He was right behind his desk, staring at her with no emotion on his face. He sighed again and crossed the room, shortening the distance between them.

Mai didn't hear Naru walking closer towards her. She wasn't angry anymore, just sulking. "Mai." She heard him call again. She was getting irritated. She attempted to face him but instead of looking at Naru's handsome face, she was looking at black fabric. She was startled. "Wha -?" Her question was interrupted when Naru hugged her.

Mai looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She could feel his warmth and smell his scent. Without thinking, she relaxed and hugged him in return, making Naru squeeze her tighter. "Mai …" He breathed out.

"Hmm?" Mai replied, feeling oh-so-comfortable in Naru's arms even though she was feeling quite embarrassed. She was blushing but this time, she didn't care. She wanted this type of comfort for so long, and she's gonna squeeze every bit out of this.

Naru started caressing her hair. _It's soft._ "I'm sorry."

Mai placed her head at the crook of his neck and chuckled softly. This made Naru shiver slightly; he could feel her breath on his neck. "For what? You have a lot to be sorry for, Naru."

"I know."

Mai leaned away and gazed at his eyes. "So, for what?"

Looking at her closely, he could see how beautiful she is. Those child-like eyes had evolved into eyes full of wisdom. She lost some of the baby fats from her cheeks but it made her look more mature. Those full lips that are now adorned with some thin pink lip gloss. He placed his right hand on her left cheek and caressed her smooth skin.

Mai closed her eyes and leaned closer to his hand, enjoying the warmth its offering. "Mai …" He said again. She opened her eyes slowly, but instantly went wide open when she saw him. He was still looking at her but there were tears streaming down his face. His eyes held so much pain, so much regret. Her heart ached at this. "Naru, what's wrong?" She took his face in her hands and started wiping away the tears. "Tell me, what's wrong?"

Naru chuckled awkwardly at her reaction. _Even with all these changes, she's still the same as ever._ "I'm the one who's at fault, and here you are, looking so concerned and asking me what's wrong. Won't you ever stop thinking about others first before your own?"

Mai smiled softly and playfully slapped his shoulder. "I'm perfectly fine right now. You're the one who isn't."

Naru smiled at this. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Mai chuckled. "Still narcissistic as ever." She looked at his eyes and blushed. His pain was replaced with love, and this made her feel happy and embarrassed. "Naru …"

"Yes?"

"I won't lie to you that I was in deep pain when you left." She confessed while looking at Naru's collar. His heart started to ache. He needed to listen to what Mai has to say. He'll help her vent out her feelings towards him. He will listen, no matter how hurtful it may be. "I felt so lonely, so abandoned." She pressed herself closer to him, in which he returned with much pleasure. "I didn't know what to do. Then I started feeling sick."

"Sick?" Naru asked.

Mai nodded. "I would always pee like, every after two hours. It was insane." She chuckled and Naru smiled at that. "Then I'd feel so hungry that I thought I would die. Then after eating, I'd just vomit everything; it was very icky." Naru laughed softly. He could see that she was starting to get animated. "So I went to the doctors and asked if something was wrong with me."

"They told you that you were pregnant." He supplied. She nodded and her eyes started to drift away, like she was going back to the days when she was pregnant with the twins. He wanted to know what happened.

"I told Ayako and Bou-san. They were shocked and angry and everything else. But in the end, they supported me. I worked so that I can repay them."

He glared at her and flicked her forehead. "Idiot. You're not supposed to be working when you're pregnant, especially with twins."

Mai grinned sheepishly. "I know but, I didn't want to burden them so much."

"You do know that they see you as their daughter, right? They would do anything for you, Mai."

"I know, I know. But still." Mai looked at Naru and smiled. "Wanna do this conversation somewhere else? I'm feeling a bit tired and hungry."

Naru smiled. "Where do you wanna go?"

"Home." She replied. "I wanna see the kids. They might be plotting something evil." She gave a playful glare towards Naru. "This is entirely your fault for being so smart."

Naru smirked and opened his door. "It's not my fault I was born a genius. You can be partly blamed too."

"What?" Mai exclaimed. "Why?"

"With all those business books on your library, they're bound to read those."

Mai blushed and started retaliating, while Naru led her out, not bothering to explain where her secretary went.

…

"Where's Maman?" The twins asked for the umpteenth time. "It's almost 8 o'clock." Hikari said while poking at her high-class food.

"Stop poking your food." Bou-san reprimanded. "And your mother probably won't be home early."

"Why?" They asked.

Ayako sighed and looked at the twins. "She has meetings for today. Don't worry. She'll be home soon."

"But we want Maman!" They whined and pouted.

Ayako stood up from her seat and made her way to the twins' side. She patted their hair softly. "C'mon now, if your mother knew that you didn't eat at the right time, she'll get worried." Ayako gasped softly, which made the twins look up at her.

"What is it Grandmere?" They asked.

She started pacing back and forth. "If you make your mother worry, she'll get wrinkles all over her face!"

Bou-san just smirked and continued eating; he's one hundred percent sure that this tactic will work. These twins love their mother so much anyway.

"Not only that! She'll get dark circles under her eyes! Oh no, what will I do?" Ayako ended her play with a distressed voice. At the corner of her eye, she could see the twins staring at each other. _Success._

"Hu – hurry up and eat Hikari!" Kaori took her chopsticks and started eating like crazy.

Bou-san saw this and got worried. "Oi oi oi! Eat slowly! You'll choke!"

But alas, the grandparents were being ignored. They needed to finish the food … and fast. "Stop talking to me Kaori! I can't eat properly!" Hikari retorted, making her younger twin irritated.

"I was -" Munch. " – merely reminding -" Munch. "- you!" Munch munch munch.

"_Reminding?!_" Munch. "Care to say that –" Munch. "- _reminding_ with –" Munch. "- less _sass_?" Munch munch.

Their voices were getting louder by the second. Ayako and Bou-san could see the food falling from their mouths and Claude was just … calmly standing at the side.

Bou-san sighed. "Old hag, this is your fault." He accused, staring pointedly at the miko.

"_My_ fault?" The miko cried out. "How is _that_ –" Pointing at the twins, who were still shouting at each other, with her thumb. "- my fault?"

Bou-san rolled his eyes. "Are you an idiot? _You're_ the one who kept on saying those stuffs about Mai getting wrinkles and all that!"

"It was to _motivate_ them!"

"Well congratulations _Sherlock_. You did it! Are you proud?"

"Stop being sarcastic with me you piece of –"

"WHAT IS _GOING ON_ IN HERE?.!"

Everyone who was on the table fell silent and looked at the source. And there, standing in her raging glory, was Mai. Right behind her was Naru, who was glaring at the two adults sitting on the dining table. And Claude … was still standing there.

"Well? Am I gonna get an answer at this time of the day or not?" No one from the table answered in fear that the Young Mistress would snap. "Claude!" Mai called.

The ever-loyal butler looked at Mai and answered calmly. "Yes, Young Mistress?"

_How does he do that?_ The couple thought.

"What happened here?" Mai demanded.

Claude cleared his throat before explaining the matter at hand.

…

Two adults were waiting to be lectured by two youngsters. They were currently sitting in Mai's home office. Although Mai wasn't entirely angry, Naru was.

Mai was sitting across the couple while Naru was sitting on the armrest on Mai's couch. "Okaa-san …" Mai started. Ayako looked at her adopted daughter. She could see that Mai is extremely tired. "I'm not mad at you, okay?" Mai reassured, toning her voice down. "I just don't like seeing my children fighting over something that is utterly trivial."

"Well you're beauty isn't something _utterly trivial_ for them Mai." Ayako answered. "I was merely _motivating_ them so that they won't waste food."

Bou-san snorted. "Well _that_ went well."

Ayako's eyes were instantly filled with rage. "Why you -!"

Mai sighed heavily and placed her head against the back of the couch. _What a long day._ Closing her eyes, she fell asleep, the arguments of Ayako and Bou-san dying in her ears.

Naru looked at Mai who was now breathing evenly. _She's obviously tired from today's events._ He cleared his throat and glared at the two adults. "As Mai was saying …"

…

"Kaori."

"Yes, Hikari?"

The twins were making a tower made out of cards. "Do you think he'll get angry?"

The younger twin picked up a card from the pile and placed it on top of the other cards. "Probably. But he'll understand. He _should_ understand."

Hikari nodded. "Yep, he definitely should. So, we still continue our plan right?"

Her twin nodded. "We just have to make sure that Maman won't notice."

…

**Okay, so this chapter is a bit short. I'm sorry. But I do hope you enjoyed this chapter like the previous chapters that I made :]**

_**Author's Note:**_**  
Guys, I'm going out of town **_**again**_** tomorrow so I won't be able to update, but it's just tomorrow :] And I'm sorry for the late upload of today's chapter. I was packing my own stuffs for tomorrow's trip, which is an extremely long one – 6 hours. Blah. **

**Anyhoo, please do continue posting reviews :] I really enjoy reading them, haha. **

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! :] **

**Okay, so I'm not at home today. But thank goodness there's free WiFi here. I'm sorry for not updating yesterday. Stupid power interruptions .**

**Nicomwaah  
Yugure no bara  
crimsonplay  
xSapphirexRosesxFanx  
Urdyonlione  
marie  
zerocchi  
dreamingwandererofthelight  
Chrysanthia-Sunshine  
thearistocrat  
Barajou29**

WitchWarren  
Yamamoto Misumi  
peppermintginger

**I know that some of you have been constantly reviewing every chapter that I post, and I really do appreciate it :3 You guys are making my heart cry ;] Thank you so much :]**

**So, without further delay, here is CHAPTER SIX :D**

**WARNING: This chapter will be, somewhat boring. It'll mainly contain Mai and Naru conversations about the past. I told my friend that maybe I should just skip the conversation part and have everything as flashbacks. But she said that it's vital and it'll serve its purpose at some part of the story. So I followed her advice.**

…

He was staring at a picture frame that was propped up against a lavender-painted wall. He could clearly see the person in the picture glowing with happiness as she was holding her twin daughters. Looking at the picture, he couldn't help but feel regretful over everything. Wanting to erase the emotions and concentrate on something else, he turned himself away from the picture. He made himself comfortable on the couch that was situated at the center of the room. Right in front of him were papers and folders and books scattered everywhere, covering every part of the table. _And I thought that her becoming as a businesswoman would let her at least learn to make things organized._ Naru smirked at that thought. Then his mind started to go back to the conversation he had with Mai's foster parents.

"… _And instead of stopping them, you were right in front of them, fighting." He said sternly, but not without softening his voice a little. Mai was asleep right beside him. _

"_It's because of this stupid monk blaming everything on me!" Ayako hissed while pointing a finger towards her husband. _

"_It _was_ your fault you old hag!"_

"_Shut up you piece of -!"_

"_And that's another thing." Naru interrupted, placing his cold glare towards Ayako, who shifted uncomfortably. "You're supposed to be good models for your grandchildren, and you were right in front of the kids, fighting and almost swearing. You've been with them for six years. Aren't you used to have little ears following you around?" _

_The couple fell silent, knowing that they had lost the battle. They know that they could've done better. Ayako sighed and looked at Naru. "We're sorry, okay?"_

_Bou-san nodded. "We're sorry."_

_Naru looked at the both of them and nodded. "Apology accepted."_

_The monk looked at Naru. "What're you doing here anyway?" _

"_Me and Mai were supposed to talk here, but right now –" He looked at Mai, who was still oblivious about everything around her. "- it seems impossible."_

"_How did you guys meet anyway?" Ayako asked. "I mean, did she call you? Or did you call her?"_

_Naru shook his head. "She went, more like _ran _to the office, looking like a ragged doll."_

"_What happened?" Bou-san asked with concern. "Ghosts?"_

"_I don't know where she got the information but she assumed that the twins bought the entire building where the SPR office is at. She thought that I rejected the twins' offer to redecorate the office."_

"_Well that's what I thought at first." Bou-san mumbled, but Naru heard this and glared at him._

"_What made you say yes then?" Ayako inquired._

_Naru simply looked at them and said, "They are my kids. They can do whatever they want, as long as they don't make the office look like a haunted house."_

"_Mai told you during the reunion night."_

"_How'd you know?"_

_Ayako shrugged. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. To be honest, me and Masako have been observing you the entire night. We didn't hear anything during the confession but we were pretty sure that she did it. Your eyes gave it away when you came to us and told Lin that you guys should retire for the night."_

"_What are you going to do young man?"_

_Naru looked up and saw Bou-san staring at him with seriousness in his eyes. "Now that you know, what are you going to do?"_

_Naru sighed and looked at Mai. "I don't know yet. They already have everything. Mai deeply loves them. You all love them. What else can I give?"_

"_You can still give them something that Mai wouldn't be able to give." Ayako smiled at Naru. "It's something that will never wither with time."_

_Bou-san knew what she was talking about and grinned. "Yep! I've been giving Mai 'that' when we adopted her!"_

_Naru looked at the monk with skepticisim. "What? Headache?"_

"_Oi watch your mouth Naru-bou." Bou-san scolded. "We're helping you out."_

"_A father's love, Naru." Ayako sighed. Sometimes, playing games with a genius can be tiring sometimes._

_Bou-san nodded. "Exactly. A family basically needs a father. The twins should be given a chance to experience what a real family is. Be there during family picnics, or those father-daughter bonding days at school, or their recitals, or when they grow up, protect them from those icky and deceiving boys, or when they have boyfriends, give their boyfriends those ice-cold glares."_

_Ayako snorted. "That sounds a lot like you."_

_Bou-san crossed his arms and huffed. "Of course! Remember that time when –"_

_But Naru wasn't listening anymore. The monk was right. Everything was clearer to him now. Of course, Mai could be there for the twins when she wanted to, but it was downright obvious that she was spoiling them. It wasn't a problem of course. He'd definitely do that too, but there are certain limits to everything. Whereas Mai would probably be overjoyed by the fact that their children already have boyfriends (or girlfriend for that matter if it was his mother), he wouldn't be. He knew men … and their hormones. He'll be giving them a stern lecture, whereas Mai would probably get mad at him and then patiently give advice to their twins. _

_He looked at Mai again and started wondering if she would accept him back. She seemed fine with what happened earlier but maybe it's because she needed to get some things off her chest._

"_- aru."_

_He snapped back to reality and looked at the couple who were looking at him in concern. "Are you okay?" Ayako asked, shocked that he recognized that tone sometimes from his mother. "You seem out of it. We've been calling you for like, 3 minutes."_

"_I'm sorry. What was it that you wanted?"_

_Bou-san stood up and made his way towards Naru. He patted his back comfortingly. "We said that maybe you should take Mai to her room. She needs proper rest. With her like that –" He pointed at Mai's position. "- she'll definitely get a stiff neck and get all grumpy when she wakes up."_

_Naru nodded and stood up. "We also think that you should just stay the night." Ayako added._

"_What?" He was shocked. 'And here I thought they'd kick me out.'_

"_We were hoping that you'd get Mai to stay in for tomorrow." Ayako explained. "I heard from Rika that for the next few weeks, she'll be going in and out of town. Meetings with other shareholders or whoever they are. We already told the twins and they agreed."_

"_She needs all the rest that she can get." Bou-san added, eyeing his adopted daughter._

"_What about the twins?" Naru asked, concerned that his daughters would be left alone in a big mansion. _

"_We all agreed to take turns in staying here and watching over them. Unless, you want to volunteer in babysitting for every time Mai's not here?"_

"_I can do that but what happens when we have a case?"_

"_Psh, you don't have to worry about that." Bou-san pointed behind him, although there was no one there. "What do you think Claude is here for?"_

"_Claude? The butler?" Naru asked in disbelief._

"_Naru, Claude isn't just your ordinary butler. He is the twins' bodyguard; he is very capable. He watches over the twins like a hawk."_

_Naru slowly picked up Mai, making sure not to wake her up. He looked expectantly at the monk and miko. "Follow us." Bou-san said._

_He silently followed them, passing through different doors and hallways. And finally, they stopped. Bou-san opened the door and what greeted him was a two-story bedroom. Bou-san grinned at Naru. "Her room's amazing, isn't it? It's like an apartment inside a mansion."_

_Her room really was impressive. Her bed was nowhere in sight if you don't look up slightly. In the middle was a low round table with small couches on each side. He could see a door on the right, which probably leads to the bathroom. And across the bathroom door was a flight of stairs leading to the floor where her bed was. _

"_Just go up that stairs, her bed is on the right." Ayako instructed._

_Naru nodded and slowly made his way towards her bed. "You can sleep here. We'll go and ask Claude to bring you a change of clothes. BYE!" The couple instantly fled, leaving Naru no room for arguments. He placed Mai down on the bed and sighed heavily. 'This is going to be a long night.'_

And now here he was, reading a business book that had somehow held his interest. Everything was quiet, except for the occasional turn of pages. He was _so_ into the book that he didn't hear Mai waking up until she shrieked. "Oh my God, Naru!"

The young man jumped off from his seat and looked at Mai with alarm in his eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked, while walking as fast as he could towards her bed. He sat on the edge and cupped her cheek. "Something wrong, Mai?"

"I … I fell … asleep." She whispered softly.

Naru's eyebrow twitched slight. _And I thought she had a nightmare._ "Yes, yes you did."

"I'm sorry?" _Why is it that her eyes would resemble an owl sometimes?_

"You're tired, go back to sleep."

Mai shook her head. "I'm … not feeling sleepy anymore. And I need to get a shower." She stepped off of her bed and took some clothes from her walk-in closet which was just across her bed. "Where's Otou-san and Okaa-san?" Mai's voice was slightly muffled from the closet full of clothes.

"They went home." He was still sitting in Mai's bed, waiting for her to finish.

She finally emerged from her closet and looked at Naru. She finally noticed that he was wearing blue pj's. "They asked me to stay here with you." He answered.

Mai blushed, feeling embarrassed at getting caught staring. "Why?"

"They want you to take the day off tomorrow."

Blink.

Blink.

Blink.

"_WHAT?!_" She accidentally dropped her clothes and Naru was staring at it.

"Mai, you're bed clothes." He said, still staring at her clothes like it would change its form.

"_WHY?!"_ She shrieked. "I won't be _that_ busy tomorrow! I just need to sign some papers!" Then she started walking in circles. "And then talk to some of my employees and then review the files on top of my –"

"MAI." She instantly stopped rambling and looked at Naru who was glaring at her. "Ayako and Bou-san heard from Rika that you're gonna go out of town for business."

She nodded meekly. "Yes. Why?"

"Then you're staying here tomorrow with the kids." He said with a tone of finality in his voice.

Mai's shoulders slumped forward. She took her towel and clothes from the floor; she was pouting. "Fine." She stomped her way towards the bathroom, slightly slamming the door as she went inside.

…

"Are you sure this is fine?"

"Naru, how many times do I have to tell you, it's okay." Her voice was muffled by the pillow covering her face. "Now will you please lie down and sleep already? I don't bite."

"But what if the kids –"

"Claude knows what to do. We'll be fine." She shifted again, making herself comfortable. "Now will you please – _please_ lie down already?" She pleaded.

Naru resigned to his fate and placed himself beside Mai, whose back was facing towards him. "Mai?"

Mai grunted in response.

"We need to talk."

Mai lifted the pillow off her face and shifted again, making herself face to face with Naru. She was looking at him with scepticism written all over her face. "You're not possessed, are you?"

Naru smirked; he knew what she was thinking. "I assure you, I'm completely sane. Is it so wrong for me to engage conversations?"

Mai propped herself up with her left arm, and Naru mirrored this. Mai raised two fingers. "Two."

"What is this? Charades?" Naru said condescendingly.

"I almost miscarried twice due to stress." She looked at him straight in the eye. "The doctor told me to stop working since carrying twins was hard. And that I needed to rest a lot and eat properly."

"Did you?" He couldn't imagine the struggle that Mai went through during her entire pregnancy. And he wasn't there to help her.

She nodded. "As much as I didn't want to –" She noticed Naru's glare, but she didn't care. It was all in the past anyway. "- I needed to. I wanted both, so I stayed at Ayako's place."

"At what months?"

"It was during my fourth and fifth month." She smiled ruefully. "I was pretty scared."

Naru reached out and cupped her cheek, gently caressing her face. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there Mai. I truly am." Mai took his hand and squeezed it. "Everything's not your fault Naru. I am at fault here too."

Now he was surprised. But instead of showing it, he hid his surprise with his signature smirk. "What's your sin then?"

Mai rolled her eyes. "Well, at one point, I swore that I would never ever tell you."

"Why?" He asked. Even though he was putting on a straight face, Mai could clearly see the confusion and hurt. With all those times working for him, she had gained enough insight to see through Naru's masks.

"I was mad. With the way you left, I was so sure that you didn't deserve to know." She confessed. She looked ashamed and was unconscious that she was drawing patterns on Naru's hand.

He squeezed her hand, telling her to continue. It may be hurtful to hear but he wanted to know her feelings. "What made you change your mind?"

She smiled softly at him. "Hikari and Kaori. If you wanna know, they've never asked anything about you. And I never said anything you either. Whenever there's this event at school and I can't attend, Otou-san goes with them. I'm happy that they're very honest, but there's always this one part that they refuse to tell me, and it was only Otou-san who would tell me."

"What is it?"

"'Father is working at a far away place. We don't know when he'll be back.' That's what they'd say if someone would ask them where their Father was."

He narrowed his eyes at this. He was starting to wonder if his kids had somehow developed some psychic powers. "Have you ever asked them about PK?"

"I did." At this, Mai sighed heavily. "They have mine. They've seen Gene already. I guessed that Gene told them but I'm not sure how much he's said. He doesn't appear in my dreams anymore."

"Have you seen signs of them showing that they have PK?"

Mai shook her head. "Not yet. Although I have this feeling that they have telepathy. I mean, you see the way they look at each other."

Naru chuckled softly. "Do they always do that? Saying things in perfect sync?"

"Mmhm, always." Mai grinned. "I'm shocked that they hadn't invited you to play with them yet."

He raised one eyebrow at that. "Do they always do that to other people?"

Mai nodded. "It's a frustrating game, for others, not for me."

"What's the game?"

"In one try, you have to guess which one's Hikari and which one's Kaori. If you lose, consequences are … unnerving."

Naru sighed. "What have you been teaching them these past six years?"

"I've been raising them properly, thank you." She slapped his hand. "At least they're acting like _real_ kids, having a _real_ childhood to remember when they grow up." She said sarcastically.

"Are you trying to imply that I don't have a childhood?"

"Maybe yes, maybe no." She smirked. "I mean, look at you! You're a work-a-holic –"

"Says the person who wants to go to the office just to sign papers." He interrupted.

Mai narrowed her eyes at that statement. "Says the person who goes to office on Sundays, when it's supposed to be a rest day." She retorted.

Naru scowled while Mai smirked. "At least I take off from work sometimes."

"Work doesn't wait Mai."

She shifted closer to Naru, daring to be bold. Her lips were set into a thin line. "How about now Naru?" She whispered. "The kids? Or work?" Naru couldn't muster a reply. Yes, he heard her question, loud and clear in his ears. But her presence was intoxicating … and dominating. He knew that he could reverse the situation and be in control, but knowing her right now, he doesn't know what to expect anymore. All those years of running a company, she has learned to become person who can be very intimidating when she wanted to be.

Seeing his lack of reply, silently gloating on the inside that she had silenced him somehow, she backed away from him and turned away. "If you decide on taking responsibility for Hikari and Kaori, learn to set your priorities straight." But despite that gloating feeling she has, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. She was expecting him to pick Hikari and Kaori, his daughters. She felt her bed dip a bit at the center. Curious, she looked behind her, expecting to see his back, but no. His handsome face was all that she could see, not even his neck or even a little bit of his collar, no. He was close, _so close_ that if she moved an inch or two, she'd probably be flying high.

From what he's seeing, he could see the shock in her face. He could feel her short and rapid breaths. He cupped her cheek and she instantly blushed. He smirked. She may be intimidating at times, but only he could make her look so vulnerable. "You missed one important word from the question." He asked, staring directly into Mai's eyes

She could feel her heart beating rapidly, like it would jump out from her chest any second now. His breath smelled like mint tea, and for some unknown reason, this turned her on. And that smouldering eyes of his, it was beautiful. "Wha – what?" She said, silently berating herself for stuttering.

"Is it work? Or the kids –" He leaned in closer, brushing their lips very slightly, making Mai close her eyes in pleasure. "- _and you_?" His tone dropped a bit, making him sound seductive which brought shivers up and down her spine.

"Naru …" She whispered. Oh how she wanted for him to come closer just a _teeny_ bit. Her entire being begged for more. Naru had somehow sensed her desperation because all of a sudden, he smirked. _This …!_

Naru knew that she was ticked off. _Two can play at that game_. Yes, he was being cruel, but it's not like he wasn't gonna continue what he started. Before she could completely turn away from him, he held her head in place and closed the distance between them.

_Love_. It was all that she could feel from that moment on. She dearly loved him with all her heart despite his absence from her life for six years. She returned the kiss with so much passion, so much … love.

Naru could feel it in his entire being. Everything felt so right that he never wanted to let go. That wonderful sensation in his chest; it was burning … and he absolutely loved it. If this is what it would always feel like, he will never let this go.

_I will never let her go._

…

"Why can't we go and see Maman?" The twins demanded early in the morning, their arms crossed and lips pouting.

Claude stopped the urge to sigh. They may be intelligent, but it doesn't change the fact that they're _still kids._ "Young Mistress has a visitor. She can't be –"

"Visitor?" They interrupted, tilting their head to one side, showing curiosity. "Who's the visitor?"

"Shibuya-sama."

"He didn't leave together with Grandpere and Grandmere last night?"

"No."

The twins fell silent for a moment. They looked at each other, nodded and looked back at their ever-loyal butler. "Okay. We'll have our breakfast now." They skipped their way to the dining room, with Claude following behind, where breakfast was already sitting on the table. Just as they sat down on the table, they heard the dining room open again. It was Mai and Naru, both were covered in robes hiding their bed clothes.

"Good morning Hikari, Kaori." Mai greeted with a sweet smile on her face. The twins jumped from their seat and hugged their mother. "Good morning Maman!" Mai kissed both their foreheads.

"How was your sleep?" She asked.

"It was okay." They answered. They both turned their heads to look at Naru. They made their way towards him and hugged him, which delighted Naru a lot. "Good morning!" They greeted cheerfully. Naru smiled and greeted back. "Good morning you two. Have you eaten already?" He asked, looking at the plates at the table.

They shook their heads. "No." Hikari answered.

"We just got in too." Kaori added.

"Can we join you?" Mai asked, smiling at her two little angels. The twins grinned and nodded. Hikari dragged Naru while Kaori dragged Mai.

Mai was at the head of the table with Naru on her right and the twins on her left. The twins filled the table with constant chatter with Naru and Mai commenting and complimenting.

"Maman?"

Mai looked up from her food. "Yes, dears?"

"Can we borrow Uncle Kazuya after breakfast?"

Both adults looked at the twins, thinking of possible things that they'd do to Naru. "Of course." Mai answered. "That is, if your Uncle Kazuya's available." She added, while looking at Naru.

Naru nodded and looked at the twins. "I'm free today. Did you want to go somewhere today?"

The twins nodded happily and grinned. Mai's instincts started to kick in. It wasn't entirely bad, but she could feel that something will happen today. _I have to tell Naru._ "Where do you want to go?" He asked.

The twins just shook their head. "It's a secret!"

_Definitely suspicious._ Mai thought. Naru simply smiled and continued eating his breakfast. It was during this time that Claude slowly made his way towards Mai, handing her the daily newspaper. "Thank you, Claude."

Claude bowed in return. "You're welcome, Young Mistress. Is there anything you need for today?"

Mai nodded. "I want you to call Rika. Tell her to bring the papers –"

"Mai." Naru interrupted, glaring at her.

Mai sighed. "Naru, I really need to sign those papers as soon as possible and review _some_ files. I'll be staying here at home with Rika while you and the kids go somewhere. I promise, by the time you and the kids are back, I'm done."

Naru sighed. He really didn't want her to work today and planned to take her and the kids out somewhere. But the kids wanted to go out with him today, and he couldn't refuse. "Fine, but just those files that needs immediate attention." He reminded her.

Mai smiled and looked at Claude, who was still patiently waiting for her instructions. "Call Rika and tell her to bring those important papers and folders that needs to be signed and reviewed."

Claude nodded. "Yes, Young Mistress." With that, he left the dining room.

"Maman!" The twins called.

"Yes?"

"We're gonna take a bath now." They smiled and looked at Naru. "Uncle Kazuya, you don't have to go home and change. We'll be buying new clothes along the way!" They instantly fled from the table, leaving no room for argument.

Mai chuckled at the twins' antics. "Just let them be Naru."

Naru sighed, feeling dejected. "I wanted to take you out today, together with Hikari and Kaori. But they beat me to it, and now the spending." He shook his head to look at Mai with an amused look on her face. "I assume they'll be using your savings?"

Mai smiled. "It's okay. As long as it's not a building or an entire store, I'm fine with it."

"I'll repay you. I'll ask for the receipt."

"Naru."

He looked up and saw a gentle smile on Mai's face. "What's mine is yours, Naru. We both promised to take care of Hikari and Kaori. I give what I can give to the both of them, and to you. Since you are their biological father."

"Thank you … Mai, for giving me another chance." Naru took her hand and squeezed it.

Mai just smiled and stood up from her seat, bringing her newspaper with her. "Why don't you get changed already?"

Naru nodded and stood up. "Where will you go?"

"Just at the office. I'll check for calls from work. And I'll wait for Rika there too."

They both went their own ways inside the mansion, starting their day.

…

"So? So? So? What happened?" Rika was squirming in her seat, obviously excited about what her boss has to say seeing that she was blushing all the way to the tip of her ear. "I want the details Mai. Make them _juicy_!" She squealed like a little girl.

Mai slammed the folder on her table, glaring at her secretary slash best friend, but it didn't faze her, not one bit. She could see it in her eyes that she'll get what she want or there'll be hell to pay. "Like I said Rika, nothing happened. We just talked about some important things." Mai insisted, bringing the folder back to her face, hoping to block out Rika's grinning image.

"Oh c'mon!" Rika exclaimed. "That's impossible! You two were sleeping in _your_ bed and you were literally _glowing_ earlier when I came in! There has to be _something_ that happened!"

"Well then, if you want the truth, you have to tell me something first." She closed her folder and neatly placed it in her desk. She evilly smirked at her secretary, who was now slightly shivering in fear.

"Wha – what?" Rika wasn't liking this twist of events. She was supposed to corner her boss with questions, not the other way around!

Mai brought her hands together and placed it under her chin, still smirking. "Where were you _and_ Lin-san on the night when we went to the SPR office?"

Rika could feel the heat rushing all the way to her cheeks. She wasn't prepared for this. This was probably her karma for leaving her boss inside that office. She was starting to wonder what had occurred during that night.

"I want all the details Rika. Make. Them. _Juicy._" Mai said, successfully stealing Rika's words.

_Dear God, what have I done to deserve this?_

…

He was staring at the mountain of clothes that was right in front of him, silently wishing to some God to lessen his burden. He's a guy for Pete's sake! He doesn't need to fit _all of these_! This was _absolute_ and _utter torture_. But then again, he has to pay his penance. There are a lot of other worse things than this. He sighed heavily. "Better get started then …"

…

He was thankful that the twins decided to have lunch at a park. Everything was green, children playing around, bubbles and laughter floating in the air, it was perfect. But despite the scenery, he was tired. He had to fit _sixteen_ pairs of clothes before Hikari and Kaori were satisfied. He had managed to persuade the twins to pay for his own clothes. Actually, he was satisfied with the getup he's wearing right now. A plain button up shirt with the first two buttons unfastened. The top of his shirt had the darkest shade of blue while the bottom had the lightest shade of blue. It was long-sleeved, but the twins insisted on not buttoning the cuffs. Instead, they rolled it up until his elbows. He wore black jeans and black leather shoes. If it weren't for the twins' slight change of the attire, he would've looked very formal. But right now, everything just looks casual, like he was going out. In fact, it made him look so attractive that every girl in the vicinity would steal glances at him. Some even dared to walk up to him, but the twins' glare would drive them away. If they were persistent, they'd sweetly offer them a box that was – according to them – full of their favourite treats. The girl would accept but when she'd open it, she'd screech like a banshee and go on a full sprint. He would smirk everytime the twins would do their trick. But at the same time, he was curious as to what was inside the box.

Although, there's this one question that has been on his mind ever since the twins asked to 'borrow' him for the day.

"Hikari. Kaori."

Hikari and Kaori were leaning against the trunk of the tree while he was across the twins. They looked up from their food. Their mouths were full. "Yesh?"

Naru sighed. He took a napkin from the basket and reached across him, wiping away some food that fell from their mouths. "How many times has your mother told you to not speak when your mouth is full? Plus, you're dirtying your clothes." He sat back again and looked at the twins.

"We can buy a new pair." They said.

Naru shook his head. _Mai is spoiling them too much._ "You're wasting money."

"But Maman allows us to buy clothes."

"That doesn't mean you should take advantage of your mother's approval."

"But she says she loves us."

"Of course, she does love you very much."

"How about you? Do you love us?"

"Of course I do." He wanted to clamp his mouth shut with his hand, but that would be too un-Naru like. He immediately said it, not that it wasn't the truth. He does love them, they are his children after all.

"We know."

His thoughts were interrupted and looked at the twins, who were smiling gently at him. His heart thumped at the site of this. "Know what?"

"We know who our Father is."

Pure shock was written all over his face. He wanted to ask a lot of questions. How did they know? Did they hate him for leaving them and their mother? Will they still accept him after everything they'd been through? With all those questions running in his head, he couldn't manage to utter a single word. He just stared at them with fear in his eyes.

"We've known for 3 years already." Hikari answered.

"Uncle Gene would always appear to us when we're asleep." Kaori added.

"He was the one who told us." They said again.

"Why didn't you ask your mother instead?" Naru inquired, wondering why they couldn't ask Mai.

"Uncle Gene told us that something bad happened between you and Maman." Kaori answered.

"So we decided to keep quiet for fear that we might hurt Maman." Hikari supplied.

"Do you … hate me?" His throat was drying up. He could feel his heart pounding. He didn't know what to do if the answer wasn't in his favour.

"At first, we did." They said.

"She was struggling." Hikari said first this time.

_STAB._

"She was always looking out for us even though she's already tired."

_STAB._

"One time, she fainted because of extreme exhaustion."

_STAB._

"And because of that, Maman would always bring a gas tank supplied with nitrous oxide to keep her relaxed."

_STAB._

"But Uncle John told us something enough to change our hearts."

He took note inside his head to deeply thank John. "What did he say?"

"He told us about Maman's life before us."

"He said that we should love those people who created us."

"Because if it weren't for us, Maman wouldn't be where she is right now."

It was true. He couldn't imagine Mai living a different life. It definitely suited her, although he still regretted leaving her. With all those information from his children, he couldn't help but feel more compelled to watch over Mai and her working habits.

_Sniff._

For the second time of the day, his thoughts were interrupted. He saw that Hikari and Kaori were crying. He panicked. "What's wrong?" He took them in his arms and started rubbing their backs. "Why are you crying?"

"We're sorry!"

Naru's eyes narrowed at that. "What? Why are you saying sorry?" His heart was hurting badly right now. He didn't like seeing his kids in tears, especially when he knows that it was because of him. "I'm the one who's supposed to –"

"Because we were planning in making your room in the office look like a horror house!" They admitted, looking at him with those tear-filled eyes.

Truly, he has lost count for the surprises he had received for today.

"But if you make Maman hurt –"

"- or cry –"

"We'll definitely make your office look like the Underworld!" They threatened, pointing their little fingers at his face.

And for the first time in his life, he laughed to his heart's content.

…

"Mai, we really need to tell the police about this. Or better yet, the FBI!" Rika exclaimed, eyeing the paper at Mai's desk like it was some curse.

"No no no. We have to see where this goes if we ignore it."

Rika's jaw dropped. "Are you _insane?!_ If you ignore _that_ –" Pointing at the paper. "- you'll probably get killed!" She took the paper and waved it in front of Mai's face. "And look at that format! It's formal! It's not like in those movies that they use colourful big and small letters! This is _serious business_!"

Mai sighed. His secretary was panicking, not that she wasn't. "Rika, I understand that –"

"_Understand?!_ Are you hearing yourself?!" She was thrashing her hands, the paper waving accordingly. "MAI! You _clearly_ do not _understand_ the _seriousness_ of this situa –"

"I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND RIKA!" Mai shouted, effectively silencing Rika. "_I_ perfectly understand the danger I am in. But I'm _trying_ to stay calm about this so as not to alert Naru and the others, especially Hikari and Kaori! I perfectly understand that if I am in danger, so are you. So are they. So are the kids. So _please_!"

"So … what do we do now?" Rika asked meekly.

"Of course, the best course of action would be to tell the police, like what you said." She saw Rika nod. "But noticing the words and the format on the paper, it's not some hoodlum from the streets. This person is probably from high society. We need to tread carefully when we investigate this."

"So, you're suggesting … he or she is watching you?"

Mai sighed. "Probably."

With that, Rika let the paper fall from her hands.

_This is too much._

…

**Probably the longest chapter so far, hahaha. Since I wasn't able to update yesterday, I decided to lengthen the chapter. But aha, another cliffhanger. I'm sorry for that though :[ I hope this chapter wasn't too boring for you. **

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello there! :]**

**Thanks to the constant rain here, I have developed a cold! Ha ha ha, oh joy. Psh, please bear with me for a while. I might not be able to write long chapters because aside from getting lots of rest, my mother has banned me to sit in front of the laptop. Well, I am still allowed, maybe a maximum of one hour, I guess. Ha. **

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**Reading your reviews definitely made my day :3 Thank you so much! *hugs***

**Here's CHAPTER SEVEN :] (Want some donut, I'm eating right now, hahaha.)**

…

"We're home! We're home!" The twins burst through the front door, leaving their Father behind to carry their shopping bags.

Claude came out from the living room, carrying a dust rag. "Welcome home, Hikari-sama, Kaori-sama." Then he looked at the front door, seeing yesterday's guest having a bit of a trouble carrying a large number of bags. "Welcome back, Shibuya-sama. Let me help you with that."

Naru nodded, silently grateful that he didn't have to carry everything. "Really, those two should learn about the basic concepts of budgeting."

Claude cracked a small smile, which Naru totally missed. "Young Mistress spoils them too much."

"Just because she's a millionaire doesn't mean she could just let the twins spend it anywhere." Both of them were making their way towards Mai's home office.

"If I may state an observation, Shibuya-sama." Claude said. "With the way you handle yourself and from where you came from, I can say that you're from a wealthy family."

Naru smirked at that. "You're quite perceptive Claude."

They stopped in front of Mai's office. Claude opened the door and bowed. "So I've heard, Shibuya-sama."

Once inside, they saw the twins standing in front of the shelves, browsing through some business books. Mai and Rika were having tea on the center table. "Young Mistress, Rika-sama." Claude called.

The two ladies looked at the doorway and saw Naru … carrying lots of pink bags. Mai's jaw dropped while Rika tried so hard to stifle her laugh. "Naru."

"Yes Mai?"

"What are those?"

"Obviously, these are shopping bags."

"…"

"…"

"Rika."

Rika stood up from the couch, still trying to suppress her laugh. "Hai, hai. I'm on it." She looked at Naru and Claude and pointed at Mai's desk. "Will you please place those bags over there? I'm gonna calculate the total."

As soon as the bags were placed, Naru immediately went to Mai's side while Claude left the room as silently as he could. Mai smiled. "Tea, Naru?"

Naru nodded. "Please."

Mai smirked. "It does look like you need it." She slowly poured some tea in his cup. "Was it fun? I like your new clothes, by the way."

Naru let out a heavy breath. "Sixteen."

Mai's brown eyes instantly lit up in amusement. "I'm surprised that you survived through all that. Where did you have your lunch?"

Naru sipped his tea, letting the heat flow through his body. "At a park. It was nice." He placed his cup down and made a small clinking sound against the plate.

"What did you guys talk about?"

He shifted in his seat, making his body angle towards Mai. "I need to talk to you about –"

"Maman!" The twins shouted, interrupting Mai and Naru's conversation.

"Yes?"

They hopped their way towards the couple and shoved a book right in front of Mai's face. "Can we read this?"

Mai took the book from their hands while Naru looked at it. Naru raised an elegant eyebrow as he read the title. "The Con Artists' Basic Philosophy? Mai, are you a Con Artist?" Naru's eyes held an amount of mirth.

"Wha -!" She sputtered. "I – I don't even remember this book!" She shrieked, looking at the book with horror.

"Mou, Mai. That book was a gift from Yasuhara." Rika answered from Mai's desk, stuffing her hands in one of the bags trying to retrieve the receipt. "He even bought you the next volume."

Mai ignored Rika and looked at the twins with a grave expression on her face. "Look, Hikari, Kaori. You are _not_ allowed to read this book, and the next book. _Ever_! Do we have an understanding?"

The twins didn't need to be told twice. There was something inside that book that their mother didn't want them to know. As curious as they may be, mother's orders always comes first, especially when she's very serious. They saw their mother sigh and stared at the book. Looking closely, they could see something in her eyes, they couldn't just pinpoint what it was. "Maman?"

Mai smiled lazily. "Yes, darlings?"

_There's definitely something going on._ The twins thought. "Are you okay?" They placed their hands on her knees.

Mai stiffened a little, but this didn't go unnoticed by Naru, especially the twins. Rika simply stayed quiet behind Mai's desk, looking at the different receipts laid out in front of her. Naru placed a hand on her shoulder, making Mai look at him. "Mai, are you okay? Did something happen?"

She shook her head, trying to regain some of her composure. She smiled as best as she could and patted the twins' hair. "I'm sorry. I'm fine. Just got some trouble at work." She lied. _Please please please._

The twins looked at their mother before releasing her knees. "Okay! We're gonna go and learn a new language!" They instantly left the office with grins on their faces.

"Mai. You're not exactly a good liar. And I'm glad that, that hasn't changed a bit." Naru glared at Mai.

"Naru. There's nothing going on." Mai insisted, levelling Naru's glare. "Just some things at work. That's it."

_This woman …_

…

It was a Saturday today but Lin wasn't in the office. In fact, he was doing his work at home. He received a text from Oliver earlier, telling him that he'll probably be back in the evening since he was spending time with Hikari and Kaori. He was currently reading a potential case to be investigated when his cellular phone rang. He looked at the screen and an unlisted number was written. He flipped his phone open and put on his professional tone. "Lin Koujo."

"_Uncle Koujo_!" Two voices rang from his phone. Lin smiled at the voices that he heard. "Hikari, Kaori. It's a pleasure to hear from you."

"_Uncle Koujo, we need help."_ The twins sounded distraught.

"What is it?" Lin stopped reading and focused on listening to the twins.

"_It's about Maman. Something's wrong._"

"Why? Did something happen?" Lin was starting to run different scenarios in his head, most of it containing homicidal ghosts and Mai.

"_We don't know yet. But we're very sure that something is wrong._"

Lin raised his eyebrows at that sentence. "Are those your … instincts?"

"_Uh-huh._"

_These twins probably inherited their powers from Mai._ "What can you tell about that 'something'?" He asked.

"_We really don't know. But can you please tell Papa about this? And tell him not to tell Maman either._"

Lin was stunned for a moment. _Papa_? "Of course. I'll –"

"_Uncle Koujo, we gotta go. Someone's knocking. We'll call you as soon as we find something. And we'll ask Uncle Gene too. BYE!_" They immediately dropped the call, leaving Lin stupefied in his seat. Questions were running through his head. _Those twins definitely know a lot._ He placed his phone back in its place and decided to wait for answers as soon as Oliver returns.

_What has she brought to herself this time?_

…

**That's all for today guys. I'm sorry :[ I need to rest a lot so that I can recover quickly and create long chapters for everyone. **

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello everyone! :] I'm truly sorry about the delayed update. Mr. Fever isn't going down yet so I'm still stuck in bed but right now, my mother went out because she needed to pay the bills and buy some food. So, here I am, typing as fast as I could. Yep, I'm definitely a stubborn child :] **

**To all those who reviewed and sent me their care, thank you so much :] As much as I'd like to put your names here, I can't right now since I'm in a bit of a hurry to finish uploading this chapter before my mother comes home. Hahahaha :]]**

**Again, I'm terribly sorry for the short chapter :[ I'll make it up to you guys as soon as I'm feeling better, awrytie? :]**

…

_They were in that place again; full of floating white stuffs everywhere. They used to hate this place. The first time they were in here, they were scared. Of course who wouldn't be? White things floating upwards and darkness as a backdrop, no floors, no doors, no windows – nothing. But as soon as they found someone, they were relieved. But this someone was very special them as soon as they found out who he was._

"_Uncle Gene? Where are you?" The twins called out amidst the white orbs surrounding them. _

"_Over here." Footsteps were heard behind them. They turned around and found their deceased uncle smiling gently._

"_YAY!" They ran towards their uncle and hugged each of his legs since they weren't tall enough yet. _

_Gene ruffled their hair and grinned. "Hey hey there. Are you on sugar rush or something?"_

"_Nope!" The twins answered happily. They could finally get answers from their all-knowing uncle! "Ano, we actually have something to ask." Hikari said._

_Before Gene could reply, the scenery around them changed. Instead of the black backdrop with floating white orbs, they were now in a beach. The sky was painted orange making the sky look so dreamy; the sun was already setting. "How about we take a seat here?" Gene sat down while the twins sat on each of his legs. Gene winced. "Oh boy, you girls are gaining weight. What has Mai been feeding you?"_

_The twins simply laughed and looked at the sunset. "It's beautiful." Kaori said with a soft voice, completely enjoying the view. Gene could tell which one's Hikari and which one's Kaori. He spent lots of years memorizing the differences between each twin. Hikari was more like Mai – loud and outspoken. But combined with Noll's intelligence, her arguments make absolute sense. Kaori, though, was a lot like Noll – subdued and secretive, although she can never be secretive towards her sister. _

"_So, what did you want to ask about?" Gene started._

"_It's about Mommy." The twins answered. "She's acting strange." _

_Gene sighed. He really didn't want his nieces into these types of situations. He's been trying to make contact with Mai, but for some reason, he couldn't reach her. The last time he saw her was when she touched that photo with the full view of the house. "It's a ghost. She wants revenge."_

_The twins looked at their uncle. He seemed serious this time. "Why?" They asked again._

_Gene had long decided not to tell the twins. Even if they hadn't showed any signs of having PK, he still needs to be careful. He knows that they love their mother and they'd definitely do everything they can to help her. He had to find a way to see Mai again. "Can you do me a favour?"_

_The twins nodded. "What is it?"_

"_As soon as you wake up, can you tell your mother to find the time to sleep? Tell her I need to see her."_

_The twins tilted their head to one side. "Why can't you tell us?"_

_Gene smiled at them. "Your mother needs to know first. Don't worry. Your mother will be okay." He ruffled their hair, giving assurance to the twins. "Now, go and wake up. Your father will be leaving soon."_

"_Maman will be okay, right?" They asked. They saw their uncle nod before they could feel that familiar pull towards the real world. _

"Hikari. Kaori." They heard their mother's gentle voice, slowly waking them up.

"Hn?" They rubbed the sleep away from their eyes. "Is it dinner time already?" Kaori asked, squinting her eyes.

They heard a male chuckle. "No." They felt their bed dip on both sides. They opened their eyes and saw their parents smiling gently at them. Mai was on the left side while Naru was on the right.

"Your –" She cleared her throat and her cheeks reddened a bit. "- _Papa_ here will be leaving for tonight. He has work to do at his home."

"Eh?!" The twins shrieked, surprising the two adults. They looked at their Father. "You're not staying here?"

Mai was now blushing immensely. "Ah, about that kids –"

"Your mother and I still have some things to settle. So for now, I can't stay here yet." Naru smoothly explained to his twins.

"Are you fighting?" They asked.

Naru shook his head slowly. "No. We're not fighting."

"Then why?"

Mai and Naru looked at each other. Having inquisitive twins could be hard sometimes. Mai sighed and looked at her children. "Look, your father and I are fine. We're not fighting or anything bad. There are … just some things that we need to discuss before your father can stay here permanently. Okay?"

But sometimes, having intelligent twins can be less stressful. The twins instantly understood what's going on. They might not know what the main reason is but it's something very important between the two adults. "Okay."

Naru stood up and kissed both of them at the forehead. "You two be good for your mother here, okay?"

"Okay Papa. Bye bye!" They hugged Naru's waist. "Come back soon, okay?"

Naru hugged them before standing up fully. "I will. Take care Hikari, Kaori." He made his way towards Mai and lightly kissed her on the lips, making Mai blush all over again. "Love you."

"Do the 'discussing' part elsewhere!" The twins screamed while covering their eyes.

Mai laughed. Naru smiled.

_A wonderful family indeed._

…

"_But he's not answering his phone! Where is he anyway?_"

Lin sighed. "He's at Mai's house. Visiting."

"_Eh? Visiting? Why? Isn't she Noll's assistant? Why is he visiting?_"

Before uttering a reply, he heard the apartment door open. _Finally._ "Wait, Noll's back." He made his way towards the living room where he could see Oliver placing his jacket over the couch. "Noll." He called.

Noll faced him. "What is it?"

He held out his phone. "Luella."

Naru sighed heavily. He took the phone from Lin's hand and made himself comfortable on his couch. "Hello, Mother."

"_Noll!_"

He slightly winced at the loudness of his mother's voice. "What is it Mother?"

He heard a sigh from the other end. "_I've been calling you earlier but you weren't answering your phone! Lin said you went to visit your assistant. Is she okay?_"

He sent a glare towards Lin who simply stared back. He sighed. "Yes Mother, she's okay. But I was wondering if you could come here next week?"

"_Is something wrong Noll?_"

"No Mother. I just want you and Father to come over, if that's okay."

Silence was heard on the other end. "Mother?"

"_OF COURSE NOLL! ME AND YOUR FATHER WILL DEFINITELY FLY TO JAPAN NEXT WEEK FOR YOU!_"

He could clearly hear the excitement and happiness in his mother's voice. Of course she'd be happy, he rarely asks for things. But his father though will definitely notice that something's going on. "Thank you Mother."

"_Okay Noll! We'll see you next week! Bye! Love you!_"

"Bye Mother." Noll flipped Lin's phone shut and sighed heavily, leaning his head against the couch and closed his eyes.

"Noll." Lin's voice floated through the silent apartment.

He didn't bother to look at his companion. "What is it?"

He could hear footsteps and the slight squeaking of the couch right in front of him. "Hikari and Kaori called earlier."

He instantly focused his gaze on Lin. "What did they say?"

"Something about Mai." He sighed. "They said that something's wrong with her."

"I know that, but she's not saying anything."

"What do you think it's about?"

Naru ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated about Mai's predicament. "She says that it's work but I'm not really sure. I can't tell."

Both men were silent, contemplating on how to approach Mai about this matter. Lin looked at his phone and something clicked in his mind. "I'll try asking Rika if she knows something."

Naru smirked. "First name basis eh? How did the date go?"

Lin glared at his companion. "None of your business." He stood up and made his way towards his room. "I'll ask her tomorrow."

Naru nodded. "Thanks Lin."

_I hope she has the answers …_

…

**BLAH THIS CHAPTER SUCKS. I'M DEFINITELY OUT OF MY ELEMENT. I'M SO SICK :'[ I'M SO SORRY! I'LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU GUYS SOON, OKAY? I'M SO SORRY. I NEED TO REST NOW, I CAN BARELY SIT STRAIGHT ALREADY AND MY BRAIN AIN'T WORKING PROPERLY.**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	9. Chapter 9

**HELLO THERE EVERYONE! :] Finally, I feel a lot better than before. My fever's gone but my body is still quite weak. At least right now, I can go back to updating my very first story :" **

**I really want to thank these people for giving me such heart-warming reviews :]**

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**Thank you, thank you, thank you :] I really wasn't expecting such wonderful reviews from you guys. I mean, this is my first story and I wasn't sure what people would say about it. It's scary, hahaha.**

**Anyhoo, I hope that you guys will find this chapter long enough :]**

**NOTE: Mai and Rika's conversation is from the series Leverage. I really love that series.**

…

Today is a wonderful Sunday … and here he was, sitting in the living room, reading some potential cases. Usually, he wouldn't mind this momentary solitude but ever since finding about the twins and Mai, he would always have this sudden urge to go and see them. He sighed and closed the folder that he was supposed to be reading.

"Distracted?"

He jumped slightly, startled about Lin's sudden appearance in their living room. He looked up and saw that the man was making his way towards him holding another neat folder. "What is that?"

Lin didn't need Naru's vocal approval. He can clearly see that the young man was distracted. As soon as he was close enough, he held out his hand that was holding the folder. "It's a case. This is much more interesting than the others." He sat down on the couch that was right in front of Naru, who was already reading the new file. "It's in Sapporo. I think it's about cannibalism Naru."

Naru looked at the pictures that was in the folder. There were 12 pictures in total, showing different bite marks. The other marks looked a lot like a love mark. But what interested him was the ripped out flesh. He looked at the edges of the flesh; they were crooked, definitely not done by some knife or scissors. "I would've classified this as murder if not for the bloody hand prints appearing on windows, closets and on some kitchen appliances."

Lin nodded. "I would've said so myself. I have a feeling that this is gonna be a dangerous case, Naru."

Naru agreed. "We're gonna need more information about this."

Lin stood up and fished his phone from his pocket. "I'll call the others then?" Naru nodded while keeping his eyes on the folder. "Tell them to come tomorrow at the office, 10AM. Forward the e-mail sent by the client to Yasuhara so that he can gather information."

"Do you want me to call Mai and Rika too?"

Naru stood up from the couch and placed the folder on top of the other folders. "I'll call Mai. You can call Rika-san, if you want." He was starting to walk towards his room when he remembered something. "Lin."

Lin looked up from his phone. He was still standing on the same spot. "I want you to call my parents too. Ask them when they'll be coming." With that, he left his older companion and went straight to his room.

…

"Hikari, Kaori. Today is a Sunday."

"Yes Maman."

"So, why are we doing this? We're supposed to be doing some family time at home."

Mai looked at the mountain right in front of her – a mountain made out of clothes. She was in one of the dressing rooms inside her company. Instead of walls, mirrors were seen. A much brighter light was placed for viewing purposes. On her right were three tables with illuminated mirrors and on her left were racks full of clothes. On one corner of the room was a closed fitting room for privacy. "But Maman, you're going to Sapporo this week!" Their voices were a bit muffled. They were lost in the sea of clothes.

The young CEO sighed and looked at herself on one of the mirrors. She was in a red kimono that ended at her ankles with different flower patterns on the lower portion of her body, and some petals at the very bottom. Instead of wearing the traditional straw sandals, she wore three-inch heels with only two white straps holding her feet; one across her toes and one around her ankles. Small white diamonds adorned the straps making it glitter against the light. Her hair was done in a bun with two wooden chopsticks holding it up. At the very top of each chopstick were dangling bells.

Even if her entire body was covered, one could clearly see the curves hidden by the expensive cloth. Not that people needed to know what her body looked like; she is a model after all. She has worn much more revealing clothes. "Kids, I'll only be attending one social gathering, the rest are official business meetings."

Hikari finally emerged from sea of clothes, carrying another red kimono. "But Maman, you're not only a CEO!"

"You're a fashion model too who'll be showcasing the Autumn Line for M&R this year!" Kaori also got out of the clothes section, carrying a red sash.

"People will be taking pictures of you everywhere!" The twins shoved the garments onto their mother's hand, telling her to go and change. Mai just laughed softly and looked at the kimono. The kimono was somewhat the sexy version of what she's wearing, and more modern. The length was considerably cut in half; it would probably end at her mid-thigh. The flower patterns would start at her shoulders, then the petals will be at the very bottom. Mai pictured herself in the kimono and inwardly agreed. _Modern and sleek. The kind of sexy that doesn't show too much._ "I think I'll be wearing this kids." Mai said, while slowly slipping off her current kimono.

"Yep! We know!" The twins were grinning, finally satisfied of their mother's clothing. While Mai was changing, her cell phone rang. Mai looked up. "Will you please answer my phone?"

Hikari looked at her sister. Kaori nodded and retrieved the phone from their mother's bag. She flipped the phone open. "Hello! Taniyama Kaori here!"

"_Kaori? It's me._"

Kaori grinned. "Papa! Hello!" She was clearly happy about the caller, thinking that their Father will come today.

She heard a chuckle from the other end. "_Hello Kaori. Where's your mother?_"

"We're here at Maman's office, Papa."

"_What are you doing there? Is your mother working?_"

Before Kaori could answer, the phone was snatched from her hands – by her sister. "Papa! It's me! Hikari! Are you coming here?"

"_Hello Hikari. I just wanted to talk to your mo –_"

"GIVE ME BACK MAMAN'S PHONE!" Kaori shouted. Hikari looked behind her and saw her sister's famous angry glare. "I was still talking to Papa you know!"

Hikari's eyes flashed with anger. Mai's phone was now completely forgotten. "What? I'm not allowed to talk to Papa?!"

"But I was still talking to him! And you're being rude!"

"_Rude?!_ I'm his daughter! I can talk to Papa anytime I want!"

"Well I'm his daughter too!"

Meanwhile, the person on the other end of the phone merely sighed. While he found it endearing for the twins to fight over him, the high-pitched screaming on the phone is killing his ears.

Mai sighed. She was still fixing the sash on her kimono, and the twins' screaming isn't helping. She made their way towards them and loudly cleared her throat. The twins immediately stopped and looked at their mother, who was clearly unhappy of the current situation. "If you want to talk to your Father, switch it on speaker mode so that all of us can hear." She held her hand out, asking for her phone. Hikari gave it to her mother obediently. Both were looking dejected.

Mai pressed a button on her phone. "Naru?"

"_Still here Mai._"

Mai made her way towards one of the tables and placed her phone on top. She looked at her daughters. "Now, what do you say to your Papa?"

Hikari and Kaori edged closer towards the phone so that their Father can hear. "We're sorry Papa."

"_Hikari, learn to ask properly next time, okay? And no shouting, please. You're killing Papa's ears over here._"

The twins nodded. "Yes Papa. We're sorry."

"_It's okay. Now, where's your mother?_"

"Here, Naru." She was still fixing the sash on her kimono. She looked at the twins for help, who grinned widely, happy to help their mother.

"_What are you doing at the office? It's a Sunday today._"

Mai sighed. "I'm not working Naru, if that's what you're thinking."

"_So what, pray tell, are you doing there?_"

Hikari instantly went near to the phone, still holding the sash for Mai's kimono. "Maman's doing a fitting today!"

"Maman's going to Sapporo this week!" Kaori added.

Silence was heard on the other end, leaving the three women confused. "Naru? Are you there?"

"_Yes. I was wondering if I could meet you today. I need to talk to you about something._"

Mai blinked in confusion. "Oh. Of course Naru. Where do you want to meet up?"

"_Just give me the address of your office._"

Mai gave him the address and floor number and closed her phone. "Well, your Father will be here in a couple of minutes."

"YAY! YAY!" The twins sang happily.

Mai smiled at the scene. "Now then, if you wanna go fetch your Father later at the entrance, why don't you help me with this?" Mai waved the sash right in front of them.

…

Her office wasn't that far from their apartment. It was just a 10-minute drive. He parked on the side and stepped out of the car. He went inside and as soon as he got through entrance security, his legs were captured by two mischievous twins, making him lose his balance a little. "Papa! You came!"

Naru bent down and kissed their foreheads. "Where's your mother?"

"She's still in the fitting room. Let's go!" The twins took each of Naru's hands and dragged him to the elevator. As they got inside, Naru pressed the number 12. While waiting for the lift to arrive at floor 12, the twins were rocking on their heels. As soon as the doors opened, the twins dragged their Father towards the dressing room. Without bothering to knock, the twins slammed the door open. "MAMAN! PAPA'S HERE!"

Mai, who was on the phone with Rika discussing their plans, screamed bloody murder and dropped the phone. Mai whipped her head around to look at her twins. "HIKARI AND KAORI TANIYAMA! Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack?!"

The twins just grinned and left their Father at the doorway who was staring at Mai with raised eyebrows.

Mai sighed heavily and picked up her phone. "Rika, I'm sorry. I'll call you later. Naru's here already." Mai flipped her phone close and made her way towards Naru. "Hello."

As soon as she started walking, Naru hated that short dress. Her hips were swaying slightly and with the light cloth, it accommodated her movements. Like the slight sway of the skirt, revealing more of her long legs. She hugged him in greeting. "Why so grumpy in the morning Naru? It's a beautiful Sunday today."

He held her tightly in his arms before leaning away slightly, still not letting go. "Is that what you're gonna wear when you go to Sapporo?"

In the background, you can hear the twins shuffling through different clothes again. Mai nodded. "Yeah. The twins chose this. I'll only be wearing this once though, for that social convention on Friday evening."

In an instant, Naru's glare hardened and Mai was starting to become confused. "Naru? Is something wrong?"

Naru scanned the room that looked like a hurricane trashed the place. He can see different clothes that were much more _suitable_ for a party. "You have longer dresses in here. Why not wear those?"

Mai tilted her head in utter confusion. _What is he getting at?_ "Naru, I'm not only gonna attend. I'm also gonna promote our new line for the upcoming season, that's why I'm wearing this."

"Don't you have models for that?"

Mai sighed. _He's supposed to know these things. He runs a business too._ "Naru, I'm the one who's gonna be attending meetings. Not our models. It may be a social gathering but it's for the owners of other fashion companies."

Naru gathered her back in his arms, caressing her back which brought shivers up and down on Mai's spine. "Na – Naru?"

He lowered his head, his lips meeting the back of her ear. "This dress makes you look enticing Mai. Men will absolutely devour you with their eyes, like what I'm doing right now." He looked at Mai's face and was definitely amused at what he's seeing. She was refusing to look at him in the eyes. Her face could nearly match the color of her red kimono. Plus, she was clutching his shirt tightly that will definitely wrinkle.

She doesn't need to look at that smug and handsome face. It'll definitely make her knees weak. _After all these years, he still has this incredible hold on me._ To cover her embarrassment, she pressed her face against Naru's chest. The impact made him grunt.

Naru smiled softly. She was truly embarrassed. He might've pushed too far but what he just said was true. And it was making him jealous over the fact that men will definitely hover over her and he won't be there to protect her.

"You said you wanted to talk. What is it about?" Mai finally said, trying to calm her beating heart. Her face was still pressed against Naru's chest.

Naru nodded and gently pushed Mai away to lead her towards the chairs. "Let's go sit down first. You look like you're gonna pass out." He smirked when he heard Mai call him 'Jerk'.

They both sat down at the chairs. At the corner of their eyes, they could see the twins hanging some clothes and accessories on a hanger. Naru steadied his gaze on Mai, looking serious. "Mai, we're going on a case this week."

"Well, that's good. Good if no one would get hurt." Mai sighed heavily, remembering those times that the team barely made it out. "But if it's you, you never take cases that don't interest you."

"I wanted to bring the file but the twins are here."

"What's the case about anyway?"

"We haven't met the client yet since she contacted us through e-mail. But she did send us some … very disturbing pictures about what's happening. Vases suddenly falling from the table, couches and sofas being turned over, doors opening and closing and some rapping noises."

Mai raised her eyebrows. "Sounds like some classical poltergeist." She shifted a bit in her seat. "What's in the pictures?"

This is absolutely the part that he hates. He knows how Mai would feel about innocent people getting killed because of some twisted ghost. Sometimes he wished that she wasn't so sensitive about things like that, but then again, she wouldn't be Mai if she wasn't. "There were 12 pictures that were sent to us. They were pictures of body parts with bite marks on them. Some can be clearly seen as a love bite. But the most intriguing one was the ripped flesh." He saw Mai's eyes widen and cover her mouth with her now shaking hands. "And also, there were three pictures that showed windows that had a bloody hand print."

"Oh my God." She whispered softly in her hand. "How horrible …"

Naru simply nodded and continued. "Lin thinks it's a ghost who was a cannibal. I agree with him, but I also have this theory that the ghost may have been a nymphomaniac, considering those love bites on the pictures. We've also considered that it could be a demon."

_How disgusting … horrible …_ Mai gulped before asking another question. "Were the victims male or female?"

Naru shook his head. "The victims were both male and female. We don't have much information yet, so we still don't know the common denominator between the victims."

Mai took Naru's hand in hers, feeling scared for their new case. "Is there anything I can do? Anything I can help with?"

He covered her shaking hands. He was still aware of the twins inside the room with them. He needed to talk to Mai alone regarding to this matter. "Can we talk privately?"

Mai looked at the twins and realized his concern. She nodded. "I'll just change to a more comfortable outfit." She stood up and straightened her kimono. "Tell the twins to wait for us here and not to leave the room. We'll go to my office. I'll also call for security to guard outside." Naru stood up and called the twins while Mai went to change in the private dressing room.

After a couple of minutes, Mai emerged from the dressing room wearing a simple plain tee that hugged her curves and skinny jeans paired with flat shoes. Naru sighed. Maybe even wearing men's clothes, she'll definitely look stunning. What do you do when your girlfriend's a CEO _and_ a top model?

…

As soon as the twins heard the door close, they dropped the clothes from their hands and took their mother's personal mobile phone. Their mother's office was on the 22nd floor and remembering their facial expressions earlier, their parents' conversation might take long. So that means they have an ample amount of time to make a phone call. But before making the phone call, they had to talk to the guard, telling him to inform them once they see their parents coming.

They opened the Contacts section on the phone and looked for their Uncle Koujo's name. Once they found it, they made a call. After three rings, their Uncle answered.

"_Mai?_"

"Uncle Koujo, it's us, Hikari and Kaori." They made sure to lower the volume; they were on speaker mode so that they could hear their uncle.

"_Is something wrong?_"

Hikari leaned closer towards the phone. "We were able to talk to Uncle Gene yesterday."

"And he says that it's a ghost that wants revenge on Maman." Kaori added.

"_Did Uncle Gene tell you why the ghost wants revenge on your mother?_"

"No." They replied in unison. "Uncle Gene won't tell us. He wanted to talk to Maman first."

"But he said that Maman will be okay."

"_Have you told your Father about this?_"

"We can't."

"_Why not?_"

Hikari twiddled with her little fingers. "She might get suspicious."

"Yeah." Kaori agreed. "We really don't like keeping things from Maman."

"Can you tell Papa?" They both pleaded.

"_Of course. I'll talk to him as soon as I can._"

The twins felt relief wash over them. They knew that keeping secrets towards their mother is bad, but they wanted to know what's wrong. "Thank you so much Uncle Koujo!"

"_You're welcome Hikari-chan, Kaori-chan. By the way, do you know where your Father is?_"

"Papa and Maman are talking privately on Maman's office at the topmost floor." Hikari answered.

"We're here at the dressing room, looking for clothes for Maman's trip to Sapporo this week." Kaori continued.

"… _Sapporo? Does your Father know?_"

They wondered at their Uncle's slight pause at the beginning, but shrugged it off and blamed it on the network signal. "Yes, Papa knows."

"_Okay then. Is there anything else you want to tell me?_"

"No." Hikari took the phone, ready to end the conversation. "We'll call you as soon as Uncle Gene talks to us again."

"_Okay then. You both take care over there._"

"Okay! Bye bye!" They flipped the phone shut and placed it back on Mai's bag. The twins looked at each other, silently communicating before returning to their tasks, which was picking out fashionable clothes for their mother.

…

"For a happy person like you, I was expecting to see bright colors in your office. Not a dark one."

Mai huffed at that, crossing her arms in front of her. "I can be professional too, you know." They were sitting on a couch that leaned against her sound-proofed walls. She shifted herself on the couch, facing Naru. "So, what can I do to help?"

Naru sighed and took one of her hands in his. "Just stay out of this case Mai and concentrate on your work."

"You're telling _me_ to _concentrate?!_" Mai scoffed. "How can I possibly _concentrate_ when you and the others are in danger?!"

Naru sighed heavily. He was debating whether to tell Mai that their case was also in Sapporo. "Mai, you are aware of the consequences when you dream, right?"

Mai was stunned for a bit. Of course she knows. How in the world could she forget? Waking up in the middle of the night only to be soaked in blood, not being able to breathe, sudden appearance of bruises or injuries. But that's not the worst part. Reliving the death of someone else is something that she could never forget. Even after the case, she'd still have nightmares and screams as she wakes up, hence the sound-proofed walls in her room.

Naru took her silence as yes. He stroked the back of her hand, trying to comfort her. "Mai. I don't like it when you're in danger. For some unknown reason, in our cases, you're mostly the target. You end up falling in wells or stairs, getting locked up in a room or possessed by some ghost."

"Isn't that what I signed up for when I accepted your offer to be your assistant in SPR?" She said softly, slightly gripping Naru's hand.

Naru inwardly agreed to that. "True. It is a very risky job, especially when you're psychic."

"So _please_ Naru, let me –"

"No Mai."

"Naru, if you would just give in, this argument won't be turning around in circles."

"Then just leave this case alone to us. We're very capable."

"At which part of my argument did I ever say that you weren't?"

And for the first time, Naru was silenced by Taniyama Mai. He rubbed his face in frustration and glared at the floor. He knew that she'd fight tooth and nail just to help with a case, whether it was easy or not. He hated this trait of hers. She was so concerned towards other people but would never think about her own well-being.

'That's why you're there to protect her, you idiot scientist.'

Naru stiffened at the familiarity of that voice in his head. It's been years since he last heard _his_ voice. It sounded far, but he could recognize that tone anywhere.

"- ru …"

He looked at Mai who was staring at him with concern in her eyes. "Are you okay? You tensed up quite suddenly. And you didn't even hear me calling."

"Nothing. Just …" Naru grumbled.

"Just _what_, Naru?"

He sighed and took her face in his hands, holding her gaze in his. He could see her blush rising up to her cheeks. "Mai. I _care_ for you."

Mai placed her small hands on his wrists, gripping them lightly. "I care for you too Naru." She leaned forward and softly pecked Naru's nose. "I understand where you're coming from."

"Then why do you insist?"

Mai smiled gently at him. And at that exact moment, Naru could feel his heart constrict. She is breathtakingly beautiful. The life of his children, her success, her kisses and smiles, how in the world could he have missed this? _I am an idiot scientist after all._ He mused.

"Because we're in this together Naru. That's it."

All his previous thoughts were instantly thrown out of the window. He instantly swooped down and captured her lips, kissing her with such fervor that made Mai thankful that they were on the couch. Tongues dancing, lips crashing, hands roaming – a heated activity that they both welcomed. But the need for air was rising, so they reluctantly pulled away from each other and tried to catch their breaths.

She buried her face at the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent. "I take that as a yes then?" She puffed out.

He smirked inwardly, glad to see her breathless, not that he wasn't. He kissed the top of her head. "Don't worry. I'll win next time." He won't admit it (and he never will), but that smile definitely made her win.

Mai rolled her eyes at that. "Narcissistic jerk. Ruin the moment, will you?"

He chuckled and stood up, never letting go of her hand. He took a look at her and instantly liked her look. Those flushed cheeks, swollen lips and slightly messed up hair – _A wonderful art I've made._ He mused, quite proud of himself. "Let's go. It's almost lunch."

She stood up and fixed herself, making her look presentable enough. "Let's go."

While on their way towards the elevator, a thought came into her mind. "That's right Naru, I forgot. Where are you guys going? And when?"

"It's in Sapporo. We're planning to go on Tuesday"

"EH!?" Mai shrieked. "You should've said so earlier! I was planning to fly to Sapporo on Tuesday afternoon so that I can relax a bit before the meeting on Wednesday. Maybe we can go together!"

"No Mai. Too expensive."

Mai huffed. "It's my plane Naru. You don't have to pay."

Naru stopped in his tracks and looked at Mai. "You bought a plane." Mai chuckled. She could clearly hear the unspoken words behind that sentence: '_Are you out of your mind?_'. So she decided to just explain it to him instead.

"More like, half-bought."

Naru quirked an eyebrow at that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"A fellow CEO decided to sell his very first private plane at the price of 50 million yen. The twins heard about it and said that I should go and buy it because of all the constant travelling that I do. So I approached him and told him that I was interested. I really don't understand what happened next but he said that he liked me so he'll cut the price down to a half – imagine that!"

He started walking, slightly displeased about the story but significantly thankful for her dense brain. "He's just trying to get on your good side …" He mumbled.

"What was that Naru?"

He just captured her lips again, liking the feel of her lips on his. The kiss didn't last too long though, they still need to go and fetch the kids from the room. "I think we should argue more." He started walking, leaving a gawking Mai on the corridor.

Mai knew what that meant and her blush darkened. _That pervert!_ "NARU!"

Naru just smirked. Yep, he'll definitely do that more often.

…

"This seat feels heavenly …" Ayako mumbled, sinking herself more into her reclined seat.

"You're definitely exploiting our daughter's riches." Bou-san said, casually flipping through the magazine that was placed in the front pocket.

Ayako glared at her husband. "Am not."

"Admit it already. You're old, that's why you need more comfortable chairs."

_THWACK_!

Mai sighed, listening to her parents' arguing. They were seated at the very front while Mai, Rika, Naru and Lin were at the center lounge. Masako, John and Yasuhara were at the back, sleeping peacefully. She returned her attention to her laptop and started typing again.

"Remind me again why they got married?" Rika commented from Mai's side while sorting out different folders for her boss.

"A weird match-up from heaven, don't you think?" Mai answered, eyes still focused on her laptop.

Rika carefully placed the folders on one side and focused on Mai, in which Mai noticed and returned her gaze. "What is it?"

Rika placed her elbow on the table and propped her chin on her hand. "You see, I have this friend."

Mai returned her attention on her laptop but was still open to listening to her best friend. "What's with your friend?"

"She's asking me to teach her to like something."

Mai raised an elegant eyebrow. "What made her ask that?"

Rika sighed and stared at the window, watching clouds fly by. "She noticed that all of her friends have something that they like."

"Doesn't she have something that she likes?"

"I asked her that!" Rika's hands slightly flailing about around her face. "But she has no idea!"

Mai chuckled, still typing on her laptop. "She should go on a trip or something. They do say that life is an adventure. She should go and explore."

A gasp escaped Rika's lips. "You're right! Why didn't I think of that!" Rika remained silent after that while Mai was still typing, both oblivious of the two silent men sitting right in front of them reading something.

"You like art." Mai suddenly said.

Rika focused on her again, quite confused. "Yes. Yes I do."

Mai retracted her hands from her laptop and crossed her arms in front of her. "Okaa-san and John likes helping people." Rika nodded to that.

"Otou-san likes music."

Rika shrugged. "Of course. He is in a band."

"Masako likes the spotlight; she is a celebrity after all."

Rika nodded again.

"Yasuhara likes making people laugh."

Rika rolled her eyes. "Yes, jokes that entail sexual meaning."

"Lin-san likes the peaceful quiet."

Rika looked at Lin with questioning eyes. "Do you?"

Lin smiled at Rika who blushed slightly. "Yes. It makes me feel relaxed after a day of hard work." He shifted his gaze towards Mai who was grinning victoriously. "You seem to know a lot about us Mai."

"Of course. I used to be stuck in the office with the two of you, obviously."

"Well, what about Naru?" Rika's eyes glinted with mischief.

Naru lifted his gaze from his book to Mai, curious about her answer. "Well, he likes solving mysteries." Naru inwardly agreed to that. Solving mysteries are a challenge to his intellect. "And he also has this sick thing about controlling people."

Rika bursted out her laughter.

Lin smirked.

Naru's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Excuse me?" But alas, his retort was ignored. Rika was still banging her fist on the table while laughing, Lin was still smirking, and Mai was smiling smugly at him.

Naru's mind was set. They'll definitely pay for that.

…

**Well? Did you like it? :\ I hope you did. I tried my best to make everything interesting. Gah, forgive me again for wrong grammars, zzzz. **

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
The next update will probably come up this Saturday or Sunday. It's my Grandmother's birthday tomorrow and on Friday, I have a doctor's appointment. So please please, be patient :]**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again to everyone! :] Just as you requested, an update. Haha. Oh, and before the real story starts, I'd like to extend my thanks to these wonderful people :] (You know my drill, haha.)**

**Urdyonlione****  
****crimsonplay****  
****Chrysanthia-Sunshine****  
****chibi konzen****  
****xSapphirexRosesxFanx****  
****thearistocrat****  
****Moons-Chan****  
****Yamamoto Misumi****  
****Alice-okaami****  
****Krissy2lip****  
****Bobbi Phantom  
WitchWarren****  
****peppermintginger****  
****dreamingwandererofthelight**

**Here is Chapter 10 everyone :]**

…

_This cannot be happening_ …

Bou-san clapped Naru's back, which made him glare harder at the 5-star hotel right in front of him. "Well Naru-bou, it seems like SPR is whole again!" The monk grinned.

"Shut up …" Naru growled.

Oliver Davis was clearly pissed.

As much as he wanted to be happy because the love of his life was near, he just couldn't. Remembering the events earlier just made his headache worse.

_As soon as the plane landed, everyone with the exception of Naru, Lin, Mai and Rika, inwardly cheered. Even though the trip was just an hour and a half, sitting the entire time and doing nothing was boring. The passengers took their handheld bags once the front doors opened. _

_Mai looked to her right and saw a black limo waiting for them. Once they got off the plane, Ayako looked at Mai and pointed at the limo. "Is that our ride?"_

_Mai nodded and turned her gaze at Naru who was right beside her. "You're gonna have to tell the driver the address."_

_Naru nodded and took her hand in his while making their way towards the limousine. "You're gonna be staying in a hotel, right?"_

_Mai smiled. "Yep! We're going to Windsor Toya Resort and Spa!" But her smile fell once she felt Naru stop walking. She looked at him and was quite surprised to see a shocked look on his face. She gripped his hand lightly. "Naru?"_

"_What did you say was the name of the hotel again?" _

_Mai blinked. "Windsor Toya Resort and Spa. Why?"_

_Naru glared at their locked hands. He's not supposed to be angry but knowing that Mai's meeting and party will be held at the same place that they'll be investigating isn't helping his increasing sour mood._

_Rika noticed the tension floating around Naru. She tugged on Lin's sleeve. "What's wrong with him Koujo? What's wrong with the hotel we're staying at?" She whispered. They were able to notice the sudden change of atmosphere around the couple since they were right behind them while the others were ahead of them._

_Lin sighed, also unhappy about the news. "It's the place we're investigating."_

_Rika gasped. "Oh dear …" She has heard about SPR's dangerous cases from the others and most of them consisted of Mai being targeted by the ghost. "Why now?" Rika mumbled, dread laced in her voice. _

"Naru, stop being so grumpy."

Naru faced the root of all his current frustrations, Mai. "There's nothing that we can do about it Naru."

He gripped her hand tighter and started following the others who were now facing their client. "Yes you can. You can change hotels."

"Are you insane?!" Mai whispered, trying her best to lower her voice, so as to not attract attention. "It's expensive! And this is the where the meetings will be held!"

"Says the person who bought a 25 million yen plane."

"It was a necessity!"

"Your transferring to another hotel right now is a necessity too."

As much as Mai wanted to retort, she held her tongue seeing that they were now facing SPR's client. She was a woman in her sixties, her white hair held up in a ponytail and wearing a rather simple but clearly expensive business suit. She has bright emerald eyes which Mai found enchanting. Mai deduced that this woman is the owner of the 5-star hotel that they were staying in. She bowed in greeting and looked at each and every one of the team. "May I know which one of you is Shibuya-san?"

Naru took a step forward and bowed in return. "I am the CEO of SPR. Shibuya Kazuya."

The woman smiled and looked at the others behind him. "And these people must be your team."

Naru nodded. "Lin Koujo, he's my assistant." Lin bowed. "We also have a priestess who's also a full-time doctor and an ex-monk, Matsuzaki Ayako and Takigawa Houshou." Ayako smiled while Bou-san waved. "Hara Masako, our medium." Masako simply nodded. "And John Brown, an ex-priest from Australia." John bowed and muttered a greeting towards the woman.

The woman noticed that he hadn't introduced the two young women behind them who were smiling at her gently. "I was informed that there'll only be five people in your team."

Mai instantly stepped forward and held her hand out. "Taniyama Mai. CEO of M&R. I was once a part of this team but … I had other dreams." She grinned.

The woman gasped and instantly took her hand. "Taniyama-sama! It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

Mai gestured behind her. "This is Sou Rika, my secretary."

Rika put on her professional smile and bowed. "Your hotel is very wonderful, Miss …?"

The woman blushed and bowed in apology. "I'm terribly sorry for my manners. I even forgot to introduce myself. I am Takahashi Hisa, owner of Windsor Toya Resort and Spa."

"It's nice to meet you Takahashi-san." Mai greeted. She backed up a little and straightened her clothes. "Well, now that introductions are finally wrapped up, I guess we should all go our separate ways then."

"Yes, please." Naru agreed. Mai could feel his annoyance behind her but simply ignored it.

"We'll see you around then, Takahashi-san." The woman smiled. Mai turned around and waved at the others. "See you guys around too. Take care."

"Don't forget to text us your room number. We'll visit you." Ayako said.

Mai nodded and waved one last time before leaving the group together with Rika. Naru watched her talk to the lady on the front desk and shifted his gaze to the owner. "If you could show us to our rooms and base?

Hisa nodded. "Please, follow me." The lobby was huge and it screamed millions to anyone who'd step inside. While making their way towards the elevator, Hisa discussed to the team their room arrangements. "Your base will be at the second floor. The room for the girls will be on the right, and for the boys, on the left. Your three rooms are connected. Although, I did the honor of reserving another room beside the girls' room if there's a couple within your group, married or not."

"Takahashi-san, has anything else happened before our date of arrival?" Naru asked in his professional tone.

Hisa shook her head. "Thankfully nothing happened. I'll be explaining things once we reach your base."

…

"This used to be a room isn't it, Takahashi-san?" John asked, appreciating their base.

Hisa nodded. "Is this enough as your base of operations, Shibuya-san?"

"Yes. This is more than enough." Naru was clearly pleased. The family suite room was transformed into an office. _Mai's home office would be this big if not for her joint library._ Naru mused, imagining her office at her mansion. Directly in front of the door was a large office desk with phone on top and a comfy-looking leather seat right behind it. Windows behind the desk were adorned with red velvet curtains with gold linings on the hems. On the left side of the room are two long tables with wooden chairs behind them and a small kitchen. And on the right side was a little lounging place for the team. All in all, it was complete.

"Is there anything else, Shibuya-san?"

Naru nodded. "I'd like to interview your employees who had experienced the paranormal occurrences here. Possibly tomorrow."

"Of course. I'll leave you to fix your base and then I'll come back with information needed for your investigation. You can use your phone to call if you need anything; the numbers are right beside it. And also, you're all free to use the facilities that we have in here."

Ayako's eyes widened at that. "Really? This'll be great. I'll kidnap Mai –"

"We're not here for vacation Matsuzaki-san." Naru glared at her, eliciting a huff from the priestess mumbling 'Killjoy' under her breath.

Hisa giggled at the scene. "A stern CEO, I see. Well, you're daily sustenance are also free. This is our way of giving thanks to you for accepting our case. We really need help here."

Bou-san just smiled gently at the woman. "We'll do our best here Takahashi-san. This is what we do, we help people."

Hisa looked at the group with deep appreciation swimming in her eyes. "Thank you so much." She was about to leave the room when she stopped halfway and looked back again. "Before I leave, I need to tell you this important detail."

Naru looked at the woman. "What is it?"

Hisa looked down, looking a bit fearful. "All the things that has happened here only occurred on the second and third floor. None of my staff would ever dare to step foot here or the third floor. Ever since those incidents, I told all of my staff to never put customers on the second and third floor."

"That narrows things down." Lin commented. "At least the ghost has a margin."

Naru nodded, pleased that they won't have to scatter their limited equipment. "Thank you for that information Takahashi-san."

"You're welcome. I'll leave things to you then." With one last bow, she left the room.

Naru cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the others who were appreciating the room. "Thanks to Takahashi-san's information, we won't be looking blindly for the ghost."

"Yeah." Bou-san rubbed the back of his head, relieving the tension. "Less walk for us guys who has to change the tapes."

"John and Bou-san, go and get the equipment from the lobby. One of the bellboy's over there has it on a cart. Hara-san, Matsuzaki-san, I know that Takahashi-san said that the incidents only happened on the second and third floor, but just to make sure, I want you to do a walkthrough of the entire place." At that point, Ayako's jaw dropped. Masako just nodded, understanding Naru's statement. The two boys who were assigned for the equipment just left the room, wanting to finish everything fast.

Ayako scoffed, placing her hands on her hips. "You're not serious, are you Naru?"

"Since when do I make jokes Matsuzaki-san?" He said, his face still emotionless as ever.

"But Naru, this hotel is humongous!" Ayako whined, pointing somewhere in the room, hoping for Naru to understand what she means.

"Then why don't you and Hara-san start the walkthrough now?"

Ayako grumbled, stomping her way out of the room. "I'll be going now." Masako announced. Naru gave her a pen and a paper. "Since Matsuzaki-san is correct in saying that the hotel is … _humongous_, I want you to write down the places that you think is infested with hostile ghosts or the ghost in-charge of the activities."

Masako nodded and took the things. "Okay. I'll discuss our findings after dinner, hopefully we could cover half of the hotel." She finally left the room, leaving Yasuhara with the two silent men.

"Anything for me Boss?" Yasuhara asked.

Naru nodded. "I want you to go and retrieve the names of the victims from the front desk. Then do some background check on them. I wanna know if all of them have something in common."

Yasuhara saluted and left the room. Lin turned to look at his young boss who was now sitting comfortably in his temporary desk, reading the file. _Typical._ "Noll."

Naru didn't bother to look up. "What is it?"

"About your parents …"

He remembered that he asked Lin to call his parents regarding their trip to Japan, courtesy of their own son. "When are they coming?"

Lin took a seat on one of wooden chairs on the long table and opened his laptop. "They're not sure yet since Martin has some cases to work on. But Luella said that they'll try to make it this weekend."

Naru nodded. "And one more thing Naru …"

"What?" Still not looking up from his file.

Lin sighed, mentally preparing himself for one of Naru's lecture. "The twins called me last Sunday. They used Mai's phone."

Naru's eyes widened at that and glared hard at Lin. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

Lin was about to explain, but he got cut off when the door slammed open, revealing a cart full of boxes with two boys pushing the cart in. The two boys were apparently oblivious to the tense atmosphere inside the room since both were busy pushing the cart full of heavy equipment. Naru's glare intensified as their conversation was interrupted. He glared at Lin, clearly telling him that they'll continue the conversation later. Lin just nodded and started setting up their base.

…

Mai and Rika were on the nineteenth floor, temporarily inhabiting room 1904. Their room can actually be considered as a condominium. A lavish and spacious living room, sparkling kitchen, comfortable bedrooms, and a relaxing bathroom; a living quarters definitely fit for someone important like Taniyama Mai.

Both were resting on the living room, sinking themselves fully onto the comfortable couch. "I'll definitely get a massage before I go to sleep …" Rika sighed, stretching her legs which occupied the entire couch.

"I think I'll go with you …" Mai was about to close her eyes when she remembered something. She instantly sat up and took her phone from her bag. Rika eyed her, knowing what she's about to do.

Mai held her phone close to her ear. She was tapping her fingers against her knees.

"Calling your precious manor?" Rika playfully grinned at her boss.

Mai just rolled her eyes. "I'm calling my precious _twins_." Rika just chuckled and waited to hear Mai's one-sided conversation.

Mai was about to drop the call but heard the twins' loud greeting. "_Hello Maman!_"

Mai sighed in relief. "Hello Hikari, Kaori. What took you so long?"

Rika looked at her boss and smiled at the sight right in front of her. Mai was smiling gently, clearly happy hearing from her precious twins. _Maybe being a mother does this to a woman._ Rika mused. Her happy thoughts though were discontinued when she heard Mai curse. Rika raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Mai just stared at her phone blankly. "The twins skipped school."

Rika instantly threw her legs off the couch and sat properly, looking at her boss with a stunned expression. "What? Why?"

"They started redecorating the SPR office."

Rika blinked; once, twice, then she started snickering. "Wait 'till Naru gets back to his _dungeon_ …" Rika mumbled.

Mai sighed. "They even _dared_ to drop the call. _Just like their Father._" Mai said sullenly.

Rika shrugged her shoulders and placed her legs back on the couch. "Then go and tell Naru to teach them what's proper."

Mai looked at her phone and checked the time. "It's still 3:21PM. I think I'll go get some sleep." She stood up from the couch and shrugged off her jacket.

"Do you want me to call Naru and tell him our room number?"

Rika simply heard the soft shutting of a door. "She must've texted Ayako-san already …" She also got up from the couch and took the other room, planning to catch some needed sleep. _Room service for dinner … _Rika mused.

…

"Oh God…" Ayako moaned. "Somebody help me…" She was lying on the couch inside their base, stretching her legs as far as she could. "My feet are killing me…"

"Too old for walking, Ayako?" Bou-san snickered. He was sitting on the armrest near Ayako's feet. "And you're taking up the entire space. Where will the others sit now?"

The priestess just ignored her teasing husband. "I'll definitely spoil the free services here…"

The entire group was huddled on the lounging area, waiting for their boss' orders. Ayako took the long couch. Across from her was another long couch and it was occupied by Yasuhara, Masako and John. Naru and Lin were sitting beside each other, occupying the medium-sized couch. It was an hour and a half after dinner.

Naru cleared his throat, which silenced the entire group. "Lin and I already have managed to acquire the history of this hotel. I assume that each one of you has done their part?"

Everyone gave a nod, except for Ayako who just groaned in tiredness.

"Very well." Naru looked at Masako, who instantly understood his gaze.

Just as Masako was about to speak, Ayako's phone rang, which earned a glare from Naru and the medium.

Ayako groaned and slowly sat up. "Sorry, it's Rika…" She mumbled, leaving the group and going on the other side of the room.

Naru, who was slightly curious, followed Ayako with his eyes. When he saw her pause in her walk and pale a little, Naru's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly had this feeling of dread wash over him. _This isn't good._

Bou-san noticed her stiff posture and instantly went to Ayako's side, gripping her shoulders lightly. He saw that her eyes were wide. "Ayako, what's wrong?" He asked, gentleness lacing in his voice.

Ayako snapped out of her reverie and looked at her husband. "Mai…" Ayako's breath hitched. "MAI!" She shouted and bolted out of the room.

Like a gun shot, everyone who was sitting down stood up and followed the screaming Ayako.

…

Mai abruptly sat up on the bed, panting like she was being chased. She touched her neck and forehead; she was covered in her own sweat. She knew that she had _that_ dream, but for some reason, the moment she opened her eyes, she couldn't remember anything. She closed her eyes, trying to recollect what her dream had contained, but it only gave her a slight pounding in her head. Mai sighed and just shook her head. She looked at her bedside table to find a clock. _8:15PM, I'll just call for room service. But first, shower._ She lifted herself off the bed and went straight to the shower.

After a good 10-minute shower, she emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but just her undergarments; striped undies with variations of the color pink and a pink bra. She went to her closet and picked her white knee-socks. Mai inwardly smiled. _I love these things. They're so warm._ She slightly patted her knee-socks and started to rummage through her clothes when she heard a knock. "Come in!"

Rika's head popped out from the slight opening of her door. "Hey, I see you're up." Rika took in the sight of an almost-naked Mai and whistled which got her a weird look from her boss. "If Naru were to see you like this, he'd probably get a nosebleed."

Mai scoffed, still searching for casual clothes. "Not possible." _And where are my simple tees and jeans? Did Hikari and Kaori even pack those?_

Rika just shrugged. "Well, I'll order room service. Wait for you outside!"

Mai nodded and heard her door shut … and lock. Mai's right hand hung in mid-air, feeling suddenly suspicious. Just as she was about to turn around, she suddenly felt that instant temperature drop in her room. _This cannot be happening…_ Without thinking, she ran straight to the door and started turning the knob hoping to open the door; it didn't. She was shivering from the constant drop of temperature and her instincts were on overdrive. She turned around again, hoping to find some exit aside from the bathroom and her bedroom door, but what she found instead was a faint purple figure floating on top of her bed. She backed up against the door and banged on it hard, hoping that Rika could hear it.

She started taking deep breaths, readying herself for defense if ever the purple ghost will attack. Luckily, she heard Rika on the other side of the door.

"Mai? What's going on? Are you done?" Mai could hear that Rika was slightly suspicious.

Never leaving her eyes on the purple figure, she told Rika what to do. "I want you to call Naru or Lin-san … or just anybody from SPR!" Mai could hear herself; even though the ghost wasn't attacking her or doing anything, she couldn't help but panic.

Rika, who was on the other side of the door, could hear the slight tremble in her voice, like she was scared. She knocked again, this time a bit harder and feeling a bit scared. "What's going on in there Mai?!"

"Tell them that there's a ghost in my ro – AHHHH!"

Rika jumped away from the door, her eyes were as wide as saucers, not feeling herself to move. She looked down at the door and could see that the light inside her room was turning off and on. She could hear some things breaking inside … and Mai's scream. _MAI!_ She banged on the door again, screaming Mai's name over and over again, but nothing. She pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear anything; she can hear Mai's strangled breaths. She ran towards the living room and took her phone, but dropped it on the floor. "Shit …" She cursed under her breath. She couldn't move properly. Her entire body was shaking with fear. She flipped her phone open and speed-dialed Ayako.

She could feel sweat running down her cheeks, her back, her neck … just everywhere. She held her phone close to her ear, waiting for Ayako to pick up her phone with bated breath. As soon as she heard the click, she screamed on the speaker. "AYAKO! PLEASE! THERE'S A GHOST IN MAI'S ROOM!" She looked around again to check Mai's door, hoping to God that it was open. "PLEASE PLEASE! JUST GET EVERYONE HERE! NOW!" She dropped the call and waited for the others to come.

She started pacing inside the living room whilst constantly checking Mai's bedroom door. The flickering of lights and things breaking had stopped a couple of minutes ago. Then she shifted her gaze towards the entrance of their room; SPR was taking long. Rika scratched her head in frustration and sat on the floor. "Where are they!" She's been waiting for like, half an hour, when in reality it was just 4 minutes. Just as she was about to get up and check on the door again, the entrance door for their room slammed open, revealing all of SPR standing in the doorway with wild hair and ragged breaths.

Rika instantly pointed to her bedroom door. "She's in there! I can't open it!"

Lin and Naru went straight to the door while the others followed behind. Lin whistled and his shiki circled around the doorknob. Hearing the door unlock, Naru went inside first. He didn't bother to look at the mess the ghost created inside Mai's room, he just wanted to see if Mai was safe.

He found her lying down on the floor near the foot of the bed. He slowly lifted her head and placed it gently on his lap. Bruises were starting to form on her forearms and neck. He could see that Mai was just wearing her undergarments and he would've enjoyed the sight of her if she wasn't in this state.

Ayako instantly went to Mai's other side and checked her vitals. "She's okay. Just unconscious. Guessing from her bruises, this ghost must have strangled her…" She touched the back of Mai's head and felt a rather large lump. "…and threw her straight to a wall." She started checking other parts of Mai's body to see if there were any other injuries.

"I thought the ghost was stuck on the second and third floor?" Yasuhara piped in, feeling slightly unnerved to see an unmoving Mai. _It's been years since I've seen her like this…_

"No." Masako answered, looking at Yasuhara. "Our main ghost is constantly moving everywhere. I felt his presence earlier on the dining area, fourteenth and sixteenth floor, and on the lobby."

"So it's a 'he' then…" John mumbled. He looked at Mai who was now clothed – thanks to Rika - and lying down on her bed. He could see that their boss was glaring at Mai's bruises, clearly unhappy that not even a day has passed, Mai has been attacked.

Bou-san finally moved and sat at the foot on Mai's bed. He gripped her ankle, feeling relieved that his daughter was okay. "Don't tell me that this ghost is making an exception right now…" He mumbled.

Everyone in Mai's room inwardly sighed.

_This case just got a lot more dangerous…_

…

**Okay, no one fret! Hahahaha! Cliffhanger again, I know, I'm sorry :[ But, don't worry. I'll be continuing this depressing scene on my next update. Be patient!**

**I hope you liked this chapter everyone! :]**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello there! :] Psh, I feel so thin right after having a fever. Why in the world is this happening to me?! PFFT.**

**Forgive me for ranting here, zzz. Anyhoooo, I just made red velvet cupcakes today! And to those amazing people who reviewed, you'll receive one, well virtually, that is, hehehe :D **

**thearistocrat****  
****Bobbi Phantom****  
****chibi konzen****  
****Yugure no bara****  
****xSapphirexRosesxFanx****  
****Chrysanthia-Sunshine  
****crimsonplay  
****Naruisawesome****  
****Krissy2lip****  
****WriteToEscapeReality****  
****MelissaRM**

**As promised, Chapter 11 :]**

…

The girls were silently fixing Mai's room while the boys, except Lin, John and Yasuhara, were on the living room. The three boys are manning the base, checking if there were any sudden temperature drops or odd videos while they were away. It has been agreed by all that throughout Mai's stay in the hotel, all the girls will be sleeping in her suite. Ayako will sleep on Mai's room while Masako on Rika's room. But just for tonight, Ayako and Naru will switch. Naru wanted to be the first to know that she'll be okay after whatever she has gone through tonight.

Bou-san sighed. "I don't understand…" He shifted in his seat, angling his body towards Naru who was sitting stiffly. "I thought that the ghost was stuck on the second and third floor. Why in the world is he on _this_ floor?" He ran his hand through his blonde locks. "And on _Mai's_ room no less!"

Naru just stood up and proceeded to Mai's room. When he got out, he was bringing a notepad. He sat down and looked through Masako's notes. "Just like what Hara-san said, this ghost is moving everywhere." He contemplated.

"Maybe the attacks are just limited to both floors?"

Naru nodded slightly, still looking at Masako's notes. "That could be a possibility. We still need to do some interview tomorrow."

Bou-san could hear the gears running in Naru's head. _He probably already has something, but needs verification._

Both boys lifted their heads up when they heard a door close. The girls walked silently towards the boys who were now wearing expectant faces. "Will she be okay?" Bou-san asked, concern lacing in his tone.

Ayako nodded and looked at Naru. "She'll probably be awake in a couple of hours. Rika already called room service. When she wakes up, make sure she eats and make her drink the pills I placed on her bedside table. For sure, she'll get a headache."

Naru stood up, nodding towards Ayako. "Alright." He looked at Rika who was still a bit pale from the haunting earlier, but he could see that she was trying to fix her bearings. "Are you okay?"

Rika replied with a shaky laugh, much to her chagrin. "Yes yes. I've heard stories about your cases but, actually witnessing one even though I wasn't inside Mai's room got me a little … paranoid."

Bou-san just ruffled her hair and grinned, hoping to lighten up her mood. "With us around, nothing's ever normal."

Rika looked at the ex-monk, disbelief in her eyes. "You say that like it's a good thing!"

"Just make sure you take note of Mai's reactions to everything, Rika."

Rika looked at the medium. "Why?"

"At times like these, it's best to rely on Mai's instincts." Masako replied.

"Just make sure that you both stay together." Naru added. "And call me when Mai starts to act suspicious."

Rika nodded, determined to help her boss slash best friend. "Alright. I'll do my best."

Ayako cleared her throat and looked at her husband. "Well then, I think we should all get a good night's rest." She looked at her watch. "It's exactly 10PM."

Everyone nodded. Ayako and Bou-san silently left the room, leaving Masako, Rika and Naru in the living room.

Rika looked at Masako. "Masako, you can go ahead. I'll just wait for our food here."

Masako was about to offer that she can wait for the food, but Naru beat her to it. "You both go and get some rest. I'll knock when the food arrives."

"Are you su –"

Masako placed a hand on Rika's shoulder, stopping her from saying anything. "It's okay. You need to rest for a while. Naru will be fine on his own." Masako said. "Besides, I'm here. I'm a medium, remember?" She smiled reassuringly towards Rika, who returned her smile and nodded.

Rika turned to Naru and smiled. "Thank yo –" She was once again interrupted by her phone. She flipped it open. "Hello?"

"_Where's Maman?_"

Rika's eyes widened. "Hikari! Kaori!" She shrieked. "Why are you still awake? It's already past 10!" She looked at Naru, who was also staring at her in surprise.

"_Where's Maman, Aunt Rika?_"

Rika was quite confused about the twins' persistence, but decided to tell them anyway. "She's in her room, resting. Why?"

"_Why is she resting? Did something happen?_"

_This is not good…_ Rika looked at Naru … and Naru immediately saw the desperation of help in her eyes. "Well, your Maman is resting because she's tired. You know how beautiful your mother is, men chase after her." She let out a very nervous laugh. "A lot of people wanted to talk to her."

"_Really?_"

Rika nodded furiously even though the twins couldn't see her, silently hoping that the twins would be fooled this time. "Yes, really." Rika cleared her throat. "Now, your mother told me that you skipped school!" _I hope this works…_

Naru and Masako's eyes widened at that. "Care to tell me why?" Rika asked.

"_Because we wanted to redecorate Papa's office!_"

Rika sighed, letting the twins know how disappointed she is. "And your mother told me that you _dropped_ the call even when she wasn't done speaking."

"_It was because we were ordering some guys to position the couch properly!_"

"Doesn't give you an excuse to skip school _and_ drop the call. What will your father say about that?" She heard the twins gasp.

"_Don't tell Papa!_" They said in a desperate tone.

Rika 'tsk'ed. "Too late young ladies. Your father's here too. But don't worry, I won't tell him why you skipped school." She hurriedly gave the phone to Naru and dragged Masako back to their room.

"I definitely don't want to be at the receiving end of Naru's glare tonight…" She whispered in Masako's ear who just giggled in response.

Naru glared at Rika's door before placing the phone near his ear. "Hello Hikari, Kaori."

"_Papa! We swear on our favourite teddy bears, that we will never skip school again!_" The twins cried.

Naru sighed and cracked a smile, silently thanking the Gods for giving him something else to think about for a while. "I assume you won't tell Papa why you skipped school?"

"_No._"

"Then, will you tell Papa why you dropped the call while your mother was still talking?" He asked in a slightly patronizing tone.

"_Uhm … because we were doing something …?_"

"That's not a good reason to drop the call on your mother. Have you apologized?"

"…_No._" The twins said dejectedly.

"Then you better apologize to your mother tomorrow. She's probably disappointed. Don't forget, okay?"

"_Yes. And we're sorry Papa._"

"As long as you promise not to do it again." Then, he heard the doorbell ring. "You girls go back to sleep. You still have school tomorrow."

"_Okay Papa. We love you!_"

His heart swelled at that, and for once, a real smile appeared on Naru's features. "I love you both. Good night." He shut Rika's phone and went to get Mai and Rika's food for the night. While the waiter placed the food on the dining table, he went to fetch Rika. Masako opened the door and told him that Rika was still changing. He simply gave the phone to Masako and proceeded into Mai's bedroom, telling the medium that he'll be retiring for the night.

…

_She was in that familiar place again. 'These floating white orbs and dark void … GENE!' "Gene! Are you here?" She shouted. _

"_Long time no see, Mai."_

_She instantly turned around and saw that smiling face. "GENE!" She ran towards him and as soon as she collided with his chest, she hugged him around his waist, tightening her hold on him. "Gene…" She whispered. "Where have you been? It's been so long…"_

_Gene relished the feel of her hugging him. All those years that he couldn't reach her, he kept worrying about her. And now that she's here, he didn't want to let go. He leaned away a bit just to look at her. "You're beautiful…"_

_Mai blushed prettily which Gene enjoyed. "I missed you, you know…" Mai confessed. "I've been trying to contact you these past few years, but for some reason, I couldn't. Why is that?"_

_Gene just shrugged. "I don't know either. I can talk to Hikari and Kaori though."_

_Mai pouted childishly and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Yeah, so unfair. Why?"_

_Gene smirked. "Jealous?"_

_Mai just punched him on his arm playfully. "Don't be ridiculous Gene. I was just wondering why."_

"_I missed you too..." Gene hugged her again … and Mai willingly returned it. She looked at his face. "So, uhm, am I gonna see anything today? Since you're here and all that…"_

_Gene's expression turned serious. "Tell Noll that the ghost is searching for his prey, hence his constant travelling. And clearly, it has chosen you."_

_Mai nodded at that. "It strangled me and threw me on the wall. I don't recognize the ghost yet though, just a purple cloud thingy floating on top of my bed."_

"_I won't be guiding you right now Mai, maybe next time. I just woke up from a sleep and just found out that you're on a case. Noll's stress level is reaching this plane, seriously."_

_Mai giggled. "I'll tell him that."_

_Gene smiled and ruffled her hair, feeling that familiar pull at the back of his mind. "Remember to trust your instincts Mai. See you soon."_

_Mai just nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on waking up._

She slowly opened her eyes, making sure that whatever room she was in right now wasn't brightly lit. She could feel silk sheets brushing against her legs and arms. _I must be in my bed…_ She propped both her elbows on the bed, lifting herself up, but before she could fully sit up, she plopped back down and placed a hand on her head. "Ow…" She groaned.

"You shouldn't drop yourself like that, idiot."

Her head snapped to her left and saw Naru, lying down on his right side. His eyes were boring into hers and she felt a blush creep up to her cheeks. She was about to ask him why he was in her room when she remembered she wasn't wearing any clothes when she fainted. She gasped and grabbed a handful of blanket and covered herself. "Naru!" She hissed. "You slept under the covers!"

Naru sat up and shook his head slightly to waken himself up. He looked at Mai's still-wide eyes and smirked. "I've seen you before, haven't I?"

Mai could feel herself heating up. She grabbed a pillow and threw it straight to Naru's head. "You – you _pervert_!"

Naru kept his smirk on his face. He slipped off from the bed and went straight to the door. Before opening the door, he turned to face her once again. "Once you're done feeling embarrassed, go to the kitchen. And don't forget to bring the pills that Matsuzaki-san placed on your bedside table." With that, he left and went straight to the kitchen, planning to reheat Mai's food.

_That JERK! _She got off the bed and stomped her way towards her cabinet. Due to her rising anger, she hasn't noticed her thin-strapped black sleep gown. Her anger worsened when she got inside the bathroom. Apparently, the damned narcissist didn't bother telling her that she was actually wearing something. She got out of the bathroom, threw her robe on and went straight to the kitchen.

Her anger dissipated when saw food on the table. "You're probably hungry. You haven't had your dinner." She looked behind her and saw Naru slightly slouching, reaching something that was at the back of the refrigerator.

Mai nodded meekly and took a seat. She felt her stomach rumble at the sight of food. "You ordered this?"

Naru took the seat on Mai's right side. "Rika did."

The mention of her best friend rang a bell in Mai's brain. "Oh my God! Rika! How is she?" She asked, concern in her voice.

"Nothing happened to her. Although, it was clear that she was quite shaken about what happened." He took a sip from the bottled water. He pointed at her food. "Eat first then drink the medicine. Then we'll talk."

Mai nodded and took the chopsticks. "What time is it?"

"Almost 5AM." He stood up to get water for Mai. "Will you be sleeping again?"

She shook her head. "Our meeting's at 8." She took another bite, chewed, then swallowed. "And there are some things that I still need to review. I got attacked before I was able to check my presentations for today."

"I talked to the twins today." He sat down again, looking at Mai who sighed. "They swore on their favourite teddy bears that they'll never do it again."

"Did they tell you why they skipped school?"

"No. Rika walked out on me before I even asked her."

Mai chuckled, amazed at her best friend's boldness. "She sure knows when to retreat."

"Will you tell me why they skipped school?"

Mai just continued eating, pretending that she hadn't heard him. Naru sighed. "You won't tell me."

She fixed her chopsticks and smirked at him. "Sorry dear, my lips are sealed." She stood up and took her plate, but she was pulled by her waist and landed on Naru's lap. She squeaked when she felt Naru's lips at the back of her neck. Her hands were quivering from the intimate contact. "Na – Naru…"

He placed butterfly kisses from her neck down to her left shoulder, slightly tugging down her robe to reveal creamy flesh. Her left hand flew straight to his left leg, holding onto it tightly for support. "Maybe I can change your mind?" He whispered softly, sending tingles all over Mai's body.

Her brain was going haywire at the moment. She could feel that heat pooling inside her stomach. She unconsciously brought her head back, letting Naru access more of her neck. But because of her discombobulated state, the plate slipped off of her hands and created a rather loud crashing sound all throughout her suite. Mai tensed and shrieked while Naru just sighed. _Typical Mai_. Mai made a motion to stand up but Naru kept her on his lap. "Don't move. You're not wearing any slippers."

"Bu – but the plate –"

"EHEM."

Mai and Naru looked at the doorway to see a blushing Masako and a grinning Rika. "You know," Rika crossed her arms and leaned on the doorway. "We really don't mind if you guys do _it_ but –"

"RIKA!" Mai hissed and blushed. "We weren't doing _anything_!"

"BUT," Rika just ignored her boss, clearly enjoying her embarrassment. "If you guys decide to play kinky and all that, don't do it when someone's around." She turned around, held Masako's elbow and grinned evilly which brought shivers on Mai's spine. "Especially when you guys decide to use utensils."

Naru just gripped Mai's waist and smirked at Rika. "Understood. Sorry to interrupt your sleep."

Mai felt like fainting right then and there. Rika and Masako left with satisfied grins on their faces while Naru hefted her up and placed her on the countertop. "Stay there. I'll clean this up."

Mai was still blushing like mad. She huffed and crossed her legs, pouting like a child. "Why did you say that!"

"So you're trying to deny that we were doing something?" Mai looked at him and saw that even though his face was sporting no emotions, she could see that mirth dancing in his eyes.

"But we really weren't doing anything!" She denied vehemently, flailing her hands in the air. "And _you_ had to go and agree with Rika!"

He stood up and threw the pieces on the trash. He looked back at her, still smirking like a God. "What is your definition of '_anything_' anyway?" He stood in front of her and trapped her, placing both of his hands on either side of her. "Rika didn't specify anything. She was clearly teasing you. So what is '_anything_'?"

He looked at her and saw that she was turning into a color that's probably much deeper than red. He grinned victoriously and leaned away. "Ah. As much as I'd like to do that with you –" Mai tried punching him in the chest but Naru caught her fist and kissed her knuckles. "- we can't right now since we're both busy and we have an audience. Thanks for letting me know though." He placed her hand back to her lap and kissed her on her lips. "I'll be back with your slippers. Stay right there."

_THAT NARCISSISTIC, EGOTISTICAL, SELF-CENTERED BASTARD!_

…

"…I really had no idea what happened next. I turned around just to put the mop on the bucket, when I turned around again, everything single thing in the room was upside down. I didn't even hear a single thing!" A woman with brown eyes and pink hair exclaimed, looking at Naru with fake tears in her eyes hoping to catch his attention who has barely lifted his head up to acknowledge her. Her name was Akiyama Nanami and she was working as a masseuse at the hotel.

Everyone was back on track. Mai was able to tell Naru her experience and her dream and attend her meeting without any trouble, and SPR was interviewing employees from the hotel … and Rika? She's stuck with SPR for the meantime while Mai was in a meeting.

"Is that all?" Naru asked in a seemingly uninterested tone in his voice.

The girl pouted. _This guy is ridiculous…_ "Well, I heard those rapping noises in this floor and on the third floor before. But I figured that it's just couples doing their thing. We get a lot of newly-wed couples here."

"Have you seen the rumoured bloody hand prints?"

The girl shook her head. "No. But I believe it. One time, I was going to the kitchen to get water for my customer who requested one. While I was in the hallway, I saw the head chef bolt out from the kitchens. I asked him what's wrong and he kept on saying 'blood' and 'hands' over and over again. We both checked the kitchen. I didn't see any blood but the kitchen was a total mess."

Naru nodded and scribbled something in his black notebook. "When will we be able to interview your head chef, Akiyama-san?"

The girl instantly glowed all of a sudden. "Oh! He's next. Shall I go get him now?"

Naru just nodded, not bothering to say 'thank you' and 'please'. The girl opened the door and stopped halfway. She looked at Naru. "Ne, Shibuya-san?"

This time, Naru looked up but his eyes were still the same as ever, bored. "What is it?"

The girl gave Naru her version of 'sexy smile' and winked at him. "If you feel tired, or anything at all, I'll be very happy to serve you. Just call me Nanami, by the way." She left the room and went to fetch the head chef.

Back in the base, everyone was quiet. It wasn't an awkward or tense quiet; they just stayed quiet … until Rika, who was writing something in her planner, decided to break the ice.

"She should get braces or something. Doesn't she know that she has crooked teeth? Sheesh…" Rika mumbled, unbeknownst to her that everyone heard what she said.

Naru and Lin cracked an amused smile, John tried to cover his laughter by coughing, Masako covered her evil grin with her handkerchief, and the couple together with Yasuhara just bursted out laughing.

"Now _that_ was cruel Rika-chan." Yasuhara was still snickering behind his hand. "No one could've said that better."

Rika cleared her throat and smirked. "Now now, stop talking children. We don't want the head chef to walk in on us and let him know we were talking about Akiyama-san."

As if on cue, a knock interrupted their conversation and the door opened slightly, revealing a handsome man with blonde hair and amber-colored eyes. Everyone, except Naru and Lin, was quite surprised to see a young man. The handsome man took in the sight of the room. "Uhm," He nervously cleared his throat. "Is Shibuya-san here? It's about the interview."

"Please, have a seat." Naru gestured the couch across from him. The man took a seat and eyed everyone nervously. "State your name and age. Then tell us the things that's been happening around here."

The man gulped before nodding. "My name is Sato Akira, 25 years old. I've been wor –"

"Whoa." Ayako gasped, interrupting Akira. "A head chef at a 5-star hotel and you're still 25 years old. That's amazing."

Akira scratched the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Well, thank you."

Naru sighed, feeling slightly irritated that they got interrupted. "Please continue Sato-san."

"Ah, yes, I'm sorry." Akira cleared his throat again. "I've been working here for 3 years already and during those two years, nothing serious ever happened. Just things being misplaced that could easily be blamed by forgetfulness or someone else misplacing it. And then those rapping noises that I hear on the windows, I'd blame it on the windy weather, you know, small rocks possibly blown away by the wind."

"I've heard from Akiyama-san that there was a time you ran from the kitchens because you saw a hand print. Was it you?"

Akira stiffened and fear leaked through his eyes. "Ye – yes. That was me. I – I was cooking dinner for myself. I was alone since it's my job to check if every utensil was in their proper places. Anyway, I was in the storage room, getting ingredients, when suddenly four pieces of eggplant appeared on the floor."

"You didn't hit a cart or a box full of eggplants, Sato-san?" John asked kindly, trying not to offend the person.

Akira shook his head. "No. We have three storage rooms. One storage room was full of canned goods and eggs. The second storage room is where we place the vegetables; the eggplants, carrots, green leaves, everything's in there. Then the third is the freezer, where we place our meat, pork and fishes."

"Maybe someone else left it there?" Masako asked.

Akira shook his head again. "No no. Before everyone leaves, I always check their assigned stations. I'm very strict especially when it comes to the proper storage of food since we serve high-class food." He sighed and leaned against the couch. "I know it's hard to believe but I was in the first storage room. I was just planning to eat canned goods for the night. I was sure that there were no eggplants when I checked before my colleague left."

"What happened after seeing the eggplants?" Naru asked, steering the conversation back so that he can get information.

"I was baffled and scared of course!" Akira raised his voice slightly. "I've been hearing stories from our waitresses and janitors that strange things happen in this hotel. Anyway, I picked them up and decided to wash them. So I went to the sink and … that's where it happened…" His voice softened and quivered a bit. "I was about to wash them when I heard that knocking sound on one of the windows, and it just so happened that it was the one on top of the sink. I – I hesitated in looking up 'cuz everything around me suddenly felt so … cold." He looked down and placed his hands together on his lap. "I don't know what went inside my mind but I checked … and it was like, the hand print was there all the time. Blood was dripping…" His hands were shaking slightly at this point. Bou-san noticed this and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Akira nodded in appreciation and continued. "I turned around and saw that the knives and oven had bloody hand prints too. That's when I ran out from the kitchen and saw Akiyama-san. I told her everything and she told me that we should check again. When we came back, there were no more hand prints and blood but everything was in disarray."

"Were you the one who took the pictures of the bloody hand prints?" Lin inquired. He turned his laptop to face the screen in front of Akira. "Takahashi-san sent us pictures."

Akira denied. "No. Akiyama-san and I reported to Takahashi-sama on the same night. She seemed hesitant in believing us, but she did anyway. A lot of the staff here has been complaining about hearing and seeing weird things."

Naru nodded, quite satisfied with the details that they gathered today. "Was that the only time you've seen the hand prints?"

"I've seen it a lot of times already."

Naru tapped his pen against his notebook. "Do they always appear on the same place?"

Akira blinked. "You mean, on the knives and ovens? Yes."

Naru nodded and looked at Akira. "Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us?"

"I guess you've already heard about those vases falling and furnitures being turned over, even though I haven't really seen those." Akira saw Naru nod. "Well, that's all."

Naru snapped his notebook shut and gave his trademark smile towards Akira. "Thank you for your time Sato-san."

Akira stood up and bowed deeply. "We hope that you'll be able to help us, Shibuya-san." With that, Akira finally left the room.

Silence engulfed the entire room when, again, Rika tore through it. "That was intense." She commented, surprisingly unfazed by Akira's story.

"And here I thought that you'd be crying by now." Yasuhara replied.

Rika just stood up and gathered her papers and her planner. "Would you like to come with me Naru?"

He looked up from his notebook. "You're gonna fetch Mai?"

"Yeah." She looked at her wrist watch. "It's almost 11. They usually have a 2-hour break when their meetings last an entire day. And she needs saving too." Rika grinned.

"Why?"

"You'll see." Everyone answered, except Lin. That raised a lot of questions in Naru's head.

Rika was now standing by the door, waiting for Naru. "So, are you coming?"

…

"See? I told you that she needs saving." Rika grinned. She could feel the irritation waves coming from her left side.

Naru was scowling. Every single man in the conference room was vying for Mai's attention … and he could see through her strained smile that she just wanted to get out. One man, who was probably in his 30's, approached Mai and started talking to her. He had no idea what they were talking about but the man just held his hand out for her to shake. She took it but instead of shaking her hand, he slightly pulled her for a hug. At that moment, he wanted to intervene. But Rika saved her first.

"Mai-san!" Rika called, waving her hand up for her to see.

Naru eyed the man and he could see the slight twitch of his eye for being interrupted. _Lecherous men._ He thought sourly. He saw Mai's eyes brighten up and instantly said her goodbyes to them. She swiftly walked straight towards them and glowered slightly at Rika, who was still grinning like a baboon. By the time she reached them, she was puffing slightly. "How long have you two been here?"

Rika shrugged, completely ignoring Mai's angry stare. "Long enough to see you almost get groped by that perverted old man."

"And you didn't even bother saving me before that?" Rika just stared at Mai blankly, earning the blonde-haired woman a glare from her boss. "You're impossible…" Mai mumbled and looked at Naru who was still scowling. "Naru, why the long face?"

Now it was Rika's time to roll her eyes at her boss. "Here you are, lecturing me about not saving you from getting sexually harassed although I did call your name before he actually did. And now you ask him why he's angry?"

"Oh…" Mai blushed a little. She took Naru's hand and smiled sheepishly. "Don't take it the wrong way. It's just…" She faltered, not really knowing how to explain.

Naru's facial expression faltered. "You're forgetting something."

Mai inclined her head slightly, looking confused. Naru just sighed. "You're supposed to greet me."

Mai's blush increased a little. "Uhm. Hello Naru."

Rika rolled her eyes while Naru sighed again. _Someone help this girl._ Rika mused.

Naru shook his head in amusement. "Hello Mai." He leaned down and placed a loving kiss on Mai's lips, long enough to let those lecherous men know that Mai was already taken. He leaned away and saw Mai getting really flustered. He didn't need to look that other people were staring at them.

Mai tugged on Naru's sleeve, refusing to meet his smug face. "Mou, let's go already. I'm tired…"

Naru wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Rika was just following right behind them, grinning like an idiot. _Now, if anyone took a picture of that, how do we deal with the media…_

…

**Now this chapter is quite long. Hahahaha! To be honest, I had a hard time making this chapter. I knew that writing a story for Ghost Hunt would be quite a challenge. All the evidences and history for the haunting should make sense. And there's still Mai's problem that hasn't been tackled. But don't worry, that'll come up soon :] I hope some of you guys will give me tips, or anything helpful. I'll be forever grateful :D **

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey there everyone. I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to update. Well, if anyone of you here has been watching the news, well, you know what's happening. Earthquake here in the Philippines -.- And our city's electricity line was cut off a couple of days ago. Something about short circuit and all that. So I experienced an almost 24 hours of no electricity. So yeah, a lot of things has happened these past few days.**

**So, to all those who reviewed, thank you so much :] **

…

_She was standing in that dark void again. She remembered that she was in base together with SPR, but the moment she sat down, she couldn't remember anything else. 'My habit of falling asleep easily clearly hasn't changed.' She thought. She sighed and looked around her. There was no sign of Gene. 'I wonder what I'm doing here…'_

"_You're beautiful…"_

_She heard a raspy voice behind her that sent chills all over her body. "Who's there?!" She shouted. That place where she would usually meet Gene doesn't feel safe anymore; that escalating sense of foreboding is suffocating._

"_Won't you come and be my wife?"_

_Mai's hands were now shaking. 'Gene… where are you?' She started walking forward cautiously, listening to her instincts. After taking a few steps, she stopped again. "What do you want?" Her voice quivered slightly._

"_Be my wife…"_

'_This man must be insane.' "Are – are you looking for your wife?" Mai looked around her, hoping to see any sort of figure, or maybe a cloud. "What's her name?" _

"_Mai…"_

_Mai stilled, fear running all over her body. All she wanted to do was just to wake up, but she couldn't. 'Concentrate on your body Mai!' She inwardly scolded herself. She closed her eyes and tried to feel for her body on the outside world._

"_Stay…"_

'_Someone…wake me up.' Mai silently prayed, her eyes tightly shut. 'Please…'_

"_STAY!"_

_Without thinking, Mai ran despite the lack of direction within the dark void. She can feel the sense of danger wrap around her. She knew that if she stayed long in that place, she'd probably end up dead in the real world._

_She kept on running despite the fire burning in her lungs. She wanted to just go back, back where everyone is. Back where Naru is. 'NARU!'_

"MAI!"

Her eyes snapped open, sweat dripping from her forehead down to her neck. She was lying down … and she was gripping someone's hand. She looked at her right hand and saw that it was Naru's hand.

"Mai, are you okay?" He asked, fear tinged in his voice. She looked around her and saw the others staring at her with anxiety.

Mai nodded slowly. Her throat was itchy and dry. She mouthed the word 'water' and saw Ayako move away and come back with a glass of water. She handed it to Naru, who helped Mai sit up properly. He instantly took the empty space beside her and placed an arm around her waist. "Here." He lifted the glass, bringing it close to her lips. With shaky hands, she took the bottom of the glass and tilted it upward. She greedily drank the water in four gulps. "Thank you…" She puffed. Naru took the glass and placed it on the table in front of them.

Ayako and Bou-san kneeled in front of her and held both of her knees. Ayako spoke first. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

"You gave us quite a scare jou-chan." Bou-san commented.

Mai laughed nervously. "I'm sorry. What happened while I was asleep anyway?"

"You fell asleep right away the moment your butt landed on the couch." Naru said blandly.

Mai flushed at his words. "Did you have to say it like that?"

"You were hyperventilating a couple of minutes after." He continued, ignoring Mai's question. "I assume that you had a dream?"

Mai nodded. "Yeah. I didn't see anything though."

Naru removed his hold from Mai and asked Lin to get his black notebook. "Gene wasn't there?"

Mai looked at him, assessing his face for any signs of pain or grief – none. She shook her head. "No, but I was in the same place where I would always meet him. I did hear a voice though."

Naru positioned his pen above a blank page, ready to take down notes. "From who?"

Remembering the voice made her entire body quiver with fear. Ayako noticed this. She took hold of Mai's hand and gripped it reassuringly. Ayako smiled softly. "It's okay."

Mai gulped. "It was from a man."

"Do you know who the man was?"

Mai sighed. "No. I tried asking him but he kept saying weird things."

"What things?"

Mai lowered her head and gripped Ayako's hands quite tightly, but Ayako didn't mind. "He – He kept on saying that I was beautiful and he wanted me to be his wife…and that I should stay." Her voice was now tinted with fear.

Naru stiffened slightly. "Did he say where?"

Mai shook her head. "No. But I assumed that he'd want me to stay in the astral plane." She sighed, feeling a little useless. "I'm sorry…"

A large hand landed on her left shoulder. She looked behind her and saw that it was Lin with a concerned look on his face. "Don't be sorry Mai. Be thankful that nothing happened to you while you were on the astral plane." He patted her head gently. "Thanks to you, we already know the gender of the ghost that's haunting this hotel."

Mai just nodded. She touched her cheek and felt that her skin was a bit cold. "How long was I asleep?" Mai asked. _Must've been my sweat drying up…_

"20 minutes." Mai noticed that Naru was still staring at his black notebook. _He's probably figuring things out._

"I should go and get changed then." She managed to stand up with Ayako and Bou-san's help. "Rika?" She looked around and saw Rika on her phone, talking to someone. "Who's she talking to?"

Ayako just shrugged. "She got the call 5 minutes ago."

"MAI! OH MY GOD! YOU'RE OKAY!"

Everyone looked up and saw Rika running towards her boss. She instantly hugged Mai, which left her breathless. "Rika…" She choked out.

Rika pushed herself away and checked Mai. "You're okay? Right? Oh my God."

Mai smiled gently at Rika. "Yeah, I'm fine, really." Mai tilted her head. "So uhm, who called?"

Rika 'humph'ed. "Business as always, aren't we?"

Mai rolled her eyes and straightened her suit. "I didn't know. C'mon, we'll discuss it on the way up. I need a shower and a new suit."

She heard a notebook snap close. "I'll go with you." Rika just nodded while Mai looked at him sceptically. Naru noticed her gaze. "You don't want me to accompany you?"

"No. I mean yes…it's just that, you'd usually stay in here in base and discuss with Lin when you've got something new." She replied.

Naru just stared blankly at her, opting not to reply.

"Children changes everyone jou-chan. Even narcissistic ones." Bou-san smirked. He earned a glare from the mighty Oliver but that didn't waver his resolve in teasing him. Obviously the stoic man cares for their adopted daughter; the man just refuses to show affection in public.

Mai just smiled and went straight to the door with a trailing Naru and Rika behind her. "We'll see you guys at lunch?" She called out.

"Lunch it is!" Bou-san answered before Mai shut the door behind her.

…

"We're gonna have to extend another day in this hotel." Rika sighed while scribbling something in her planner.

Mai was in the shower while Naru and Rika were lounging in the living room. Both were holding black notebooks. Naru looked up. "Why?"

"Hamasaki Ayame, CEO of Hamasaki Inc., was rushed to the hospital earlier. She was pregnant. Seems like she wasn't expecting that she's gonna be delivering her baby earlier." She sighed and finally placed her planner down and looked at Naru. "She's supposed to be the next presenter. Unless someone steps up to the challenge of taking her place, the meeting will be postponed until tomorrow."

"Why don't you convince Mai?"

Rika shook her head. "Not yet. I can tell when she's ready or not. Considering last night's events and her so-called dream earlier, I doubt that she can give a good performance in front of the others." She swung her legs on the couch, lying down on the process. "You know how she is, despite the strong front she shows; she's still fragile and very sensitive."

Naru silently agreed. Silence fell between the two, simply waiting for the other to come out from her bedroom. After a few minutes of waiting, the door to Mai's room finally opened. Both looked up and saw Mai fully dressed.

Mai smiled at the two. "Are we ready to go?" She was wearing another simple outfit; a white turtleneck, denim skirt, and ankle-high boots.

Rika grinned after seeing her boss. "You look fly today girl." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, imitating an African-American accent.

Mai was still working the knots on her side-swept hair. "Shut it." She looked at Naru who was looking at her with no expression on his face. "Ready to go Naru?"

He merely nodded and stood beside her, placing his hand on her back. "Let's go, you're gonna have to stay at base the entire afternoon."

Mai stopped combing her hair and looked at Naru, shock in her eyes. "Naru, you can't lock me in the base."

Rika decided to step in. "Actually, you have the entire afternoon free. Your meeting's postponed until tomorrow." She turned around and started to walk out of the room.

"She says that Hamasaki Ayame was rushed to the hospital." Naru supplied for Rika, knowing that Mai was about to ask why. They started following Rika.

Realization lit up in Mai's face. "So that means I have the entire afternoon to review my sli -!" Suddenly, Mai felt like fainting. Naru noticed her drop her hair brush and sway slightly. "Mai?" He instantly placed both of his hands on her shoulders, holding her. "Mai?"

Rika looked behind her and saw that Mai was starting to pale. "What's wrong with her?" Rika asked Naru, urgency in her voice.

Mai's instincts were signalling her to run. But there was something holding her back, something was causing her to feel weak. She can hear Naru and Rika's frantic calling; she can feel herself swaying, but not falling because of Naru's tight hold. She tried to speak, but she couldn't find the strength to. She wanted to tell Naru and Rika to just carry her back to base as fast as possible, but she just couldn't. The next thing she knew, she was dragged back to her room by her hair.

…

Naru shook Mai to keep her conscious and tell him what's wrong. "Mai!" He cried out. "Snap out of it and tell me what's going on!" As he was about to carry Mai, something pulled Mai out of his grasp. "MAI!" He screamed. He saw a purple figure hovering over her…and that purple figure was dragging Mai back to her room by her hair. He wanted to run after her but some force kept his legs from running. He watched as Mai was dragged effortlessly by the purple figure…and went straight through the wall in Mai's suite.

Naru's eyes widened. _She phased through?_ His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a strong but shaky grip on his left arm. It was Rika, whimpering. She might've done it unconsciously in fear after seeing her best friend getting dragged like that. He immediately took a hold of one of her shoulders while his other hand was fishing for his phone, intending to call Lin. "Stay right there. I'll go and check Mai's door if it's unlocked." He said in his even tone. "If anything happens, run."

Rika managed to look at Naru and nod shakily. She watched him as he slowly made his way towards Mai's door while talking to someone on the phone. _Probably Koujo…_ She saw him turn the doorknob and saw his lips form a grim line.

Naru didn't like this one bit. The moment the doorknob resisted to turn more, he felt more frantic and agitated. He pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear any sound; there wasn't any. As much as he wanted to be relieved that the ghost wasn't throwing tantrums, silence could also mean a different thing. He needed to bust through the door and see if Mai was okay. He decided against using his PK. He knew that his powers will be needed in a much later time. He looked at Rika who was clutching her skirt, staring at him with anxiety. "It's locked. There's no sound coming from the inside." He told Rika.

Rika gulped, feeling her anxiety heightened a bit more. "Is – is that supposed to – to mean something?"

Naru and Rika heard a bell. Both instantly turned their heads towards the elevator, hoping that it was the SPR. As soon as they saw Lin, John and Bou-san run out from the elevator, they breathed out a sigh of relief. Lin and Bou-san went straight to Naru, while John gave comfort to the still-frightened Rika.

"What… happened…" Bou-san asked in between breaths.

Naru ignored the monk. He steadied his gaze at Lin. "The door's locked."

Lin nodded and positioned his two fingers inside his mouth. When he whistled, two of his shiki circled around the doorknob. As soon as they heard the door unlock, Naru slammed the door open, Bou-san and Lin followed.

Mai was lying on the floor unconscious. Her dress was ripped on the front. Naru went straight to Mai and checked her pulse. He released some of his tension once he found out that Mai's pulse was still there; she's just merely unconscious.

"This is one perverted ghost Naru-chan." Bou-san commented, looking at Mai's state. "The first time he attacked Mai, she wasn't wearing any clothes."

"The ghost isn't here anymore Naru. It left." Lin piped up, checking every room for any sign of the ghost.

"Is – is everyone okay?"

They looked at the doorway and saw Rika and John. As Rika's eyes landed on Mai's form, her hand covered her mouth, muffling her words.

"She's just unconscious." Naru stated. He took off his coat and draped it over Mai before scooping her up in his arms. "We need to bring her to Matsuzaki-san." Naru looked at the two men. "I want you to set up mics and cameras in every room here. He's bound to show up since he knows Mai stays here." Naru then proceeded to look at John and Rika. "Rika, I want you to get Mai another set of clothes and don't leave without Lin and Bou-san. John, you're gonna have to come with us just in case the ghost attacks again while we're on our way back to base."

Everyone nodded and proceeded with their tasks.

…

Hikari and Kaori weren't really listening to the teacher who was explaining basic math. Hikari, who was the loud and outspoken one according to Gene, was feeling very skittish at the moment. Kaori too wasn't an exception. She may look calm but her mind wasn't faring well. Both just wanted to go straight to their mother. They had a dream last night, and their Uncle Gene was there again. The twins bombarded their Uncle with questions about their parents' safety, especially their mother. But their Uncle Gene gave them no answer, only giving them a guilty smile and telling them to trust their Father.

They knew that something wasn't right the moment their Aunt Rika tried changing the subject. She even dared to rat them out to their Father!

Hikari and Kaori looked at each other for a few moments before nodding. Kaori raised her hand, gaining the attention of her teacher.

"What is it, Kaori-chan?" Since they were identical, their homeroom teacher decided to place a seat plan at the backboard to know which of the twins she was talking to.

Kaori merely pointed to her left. The teacher looked and her eyes widened. "Hikari-chan? You look pale!" She placed her book down and went straight to Hikari's desk. She placed a hand on Hikari's forehead. She didn't feel any heat but the girl was looking pale. The teacher looked at Kaori. "Kaori-chan, please escort your sister to the infirmary."

Kaori nodded and took Hikari's hand. From the classroom to the infirmary, the twins walked hand in hand. By the time they reached the infirmary, the nurse took Hikari's temperature. "Well, your sister here doesn't have a fever. She can rest in here 'till classes are dismissed, then you can call your parents."

Kaori sighed. _I need to do this._ She looked at the nurse with her puppy dog eyes. "Can you please call our home and tell our butler to come get us?"

The nurse stared blankly at them…

_3…_

_2…_

_1…_

The nurse bent down to their level and hugged the twins. She leaned away and patted their heads. "You poor children…" She cooed. "Wait here, okay? I'll call your house and tell someone to fetch you here. Now, what is your home number?"

Kaori inwardly smirked and told the nurse.

After 15 minutes of waiting, Claude finally came inside the infirmary bringing an umbrella. He looked at the nurse who was blushing like mad. She hurriedly stood up. "Ma – May I help you?" She stuttered. _He's so handsome!_ The nurse mused.

Claude nodded. "I'm here to fetch Hikari and Kaori Taniyama."

The nurse's eyes widened. "You're their butler?!" She cried out.

Claude just nodded again, simply ignoring the sudden outburst of the nurse.

Sensing that she wasn't gonna receive any reply from the handsome man, she stepped away from her table and went to get the twins. Hikari and Kaori instantly clung on Claude's pants. Claude looked at the nurse, thanking her before leaving the infirmary with the twins.

While making their trek towards the school gates, Claude had decided to carry both twins. He noticed that the twins were unusually quiet, but decided to wait for the twins to tell him instead of pushing them. When they got inside the limo, the twins never let go of their faithful butler.

Hikari shifted closer to Claude, hiding her face in his jacket. "I wanna go see Maman and Papa…" She mumbled through the cloth.

Claude looked at Hikari. She was clutching his jacket, same as Kaori. "Why? Both your parents are at work. I still need to call Young Mistress though, about your sickness." He said, looking at Hikari.

"NO!" The twins instantly shouted, clearly not liking the plan about calling their parents.

Claude slightly raised an elegant eyebrow. "If you're not feeling well, it's my job to call your mother and let her know what's happening to the two of you."

"Claude?"

Claude now turned his gaze to the younger twin, Kaori. "Yes, Kaori-sama?"

"Ano…" She trailed off. "Can we go to Sapporo? Like, _today_?"

_She means right now._ Claude thought. "You mean you wanna go to your parents right now?"

Kaori nodded. "Hikari wants to go to Sapporo too. She wants to see Maman and Papa."

Claude sighed. He's debating whether to reprimand the twins about skipping school again or not. "How about school? Young Mistress will be upset again if you skip school."

"But we're the top students in our class!" Hikari butted in. The family butler could see the desperation in her eyes. "No matter how many days we skip, we'll still get the top spot!" The older twin reasoned.

Hikari could see Claude weighing his options. The twins have no idea how their mother found Claude, but they could see how faithful he is towards their mother. They just hoped that just this one time, he'd let them off the hook, just to go and see their parents.

Claude sighed heavily, not really liking his final decision. But what could he do? If the twins would be this restless and persistent, he's afraid that they might secretly call some of Mai's employees and order them to prepare Mai's plane. "Okay. I won't tell Young Mistress, but I'll be accompanying you. I'll tell Young Mistress the situation."

Hikari and Kaori looked at Claude with happiness and adoration in their eyes. They screamed in joy while Claude was calling the other maids in the manor, ordering them to pack some of the twins' stuff. He also has to call the pilot who's assigned to fly Mai's plane.

_This'll be an interesting trip…_ He mused.

…

"…Honda Toru, Ito Yuna, Kimura Misaki, and Matsuoka Akiko; all girls and their flesh was either ripped or bitten off. Shizuka Chouko, Watanabe Hotaru, Yamada Kasumi, Nakahara Kichirou, and Tachibana Kouki; aside from ripped flesh, they had love marks all over their body. Yukimura Natsumi, Yoshida Rin, and Takenaka Rio; all boys, also having those bitten or ripped flesh." Yasuhara summarized. All of them were at base, reviewing their case by discussing the recent deaths and history of the place.

Mai, who was attacked earlier by the ghost, was now sleeping soundly using Naru's lap as her pillow. She only gained slight bruises that will eventually heal. Rika was sitting beside Lin, her head resting against his shoulder.

"They all probably died from blood loss." Ayako said, crossing her legs while flipping her hair.

Bou-san nodded, agreeing with his wife. He looked at Lin who was on the long table, still typing something. "Lin-san? How about the history here? Has anyone died?"

Naru cleared his throat, gaining the ex-monk's attention. "This hotel used to be an inn. Three stories, average-sized inn like those you see on the roadside for stop overs or overnights. The owner's name was Fukui Yuzuka, died a natural death at the age of 89. She then passed the ownership to her only son, Fukui Ryouta. He had a wife and two children. The wife's name was Fukui Naoki and his two sons, Shouta and Takashi. According to some frequent customers of the inn, they noticed that Shouta and Takashi had a strained relationship. Both tend to act very friendly when in public but to some, they could see that even though they seem friendly, they never talk to each other."

"Must be sibling rivalry…" Masako guessed. "It's common."

John agreed. "How about the mother? Hasn't she noticed those things?"

"It's hard to tell because most of this information came from the customer's comments. But they did say that Naoki-san was a very gentle woman and that his husband, Yuzuka-san was an intelligent man."

"So, our two candidates are Shouta and Takashi…" Bou-san mumbled. "Aren't there any other deaths aside from the siblings? I mean, after them?"

Naru nodded. "There were, but the deaths were justified; the police had evidence. There were also car accidents near this place, so their spirits tend to wander here."

"What happened to the siblings anyway? Fight over who gets the inn when their parents die?" Ayako asked.

"Both fell in love with the same woman." Naru deadpanned.

Ayako's eyebrow twitched. "All this horrible deaths, just for a woman?!"

"If you were listening to Yasuhara earlier, you'd notice that there are also boys, Ayako-san." Masako said, earning a glare from the self-proclaimed priestess.

"What's the name of this girl?" John asked, hoping to keep the discussion serious.

"Mori Emi." He passed the picture of the girl to let the others see. "The three of them were actually childhood friends. At the age of 10, Emi had to migrate because of her parent's work. Four years after, Emi returned here alone. She was planning to continue high school here in Sapporo together with the siblings. So she ended up staying at the inn throughout her high school years, helping the family in running their business."

"She's quite a looker. I bet she's beautiful when she reached her 20's." Bou-san commented. He passed the picture to Ayako. "So, which one got the girl?"

Naru shook his head. "There were rumours that Emi played around with the siblings. Some customers could hear hushed conversations from an unoccupied room. They can always identify Emi's voice but the man's voice tends to differ from time to time. Sometimes, they'd even see Emi walk around with her hair down, all pulled to one side. And then by accident, they'd see a glimpse of a love mark on her neck."

"What a waste of beauty." Masako commented. "Only works on the outside…"

"So, what happened to the three of them?" John inquired.

"According to police reports, Emi's body was found inside the oven…" Everyone's eyes widened. "…her body was unrecognizable because parts of her body were all sliced and stuffed hurriedly inside the oven." He shifted a little, trying to accommodate Mai's position. "The murder weapon was never found but bloody hand prints were all over the drawer where the knives were kept."

"…Which explains the sudden appearance of bloody hand prints on knives and ovens." Yasuhara mumbled. "The murderer must've used a kitchen knife in slicing Emi's body parts."

"How about Shouta and Takashi? How did they die?" Ayako asked.

"Shouta's body was found on the second floor hallway; his stomach, arms, and face had no flesh. Takashi though was found on the third floor hallway, died because of a knife stabbed through his heart."

"Wait…" Bou-san looked at Naru with confusion in his eyes. "So does this mean that our ghost is the second son, Takashi?"

Naru sighed, slowly closing his notebook. "Apparently so. So far, Hara-san has only sensed one evil spirit." He looked at Masako for confirmation; the medium simply nodded.

"So, we'll be doing a séance then? To talk to this Takashi guy and move on?" Ayako asked, looking at Mai who was turning in her sleep. _Must be one of those dreams again…_

"Yes." Naru held Mai's head, keeping her head from shifting closer to his… "Hopefully we could convince Takashi to pass on tonight."

"So what do we do now?" Bou-san asked.

Naru looked at his watch; an hour after lunch. "You guys are free to roam around as of the moment. Be back in 3 hours."

Ayako's face lit up in excitement. "Finally! I can use some massage or a sweet hot bath!" She exclaimed. She took Masako's elbow, dragging the medium back to the girls' quarters. Bou-san pumped his fist in the air and took John with him.

As the last pair left the room, silence engulfed base with only Lin's incessant typing floating in the air.

Naru placed his notebook at the table and sighed. He ran his fingers through Mai's soft hair. _At least, if we can solve the case early, Mai won't have to suffer from being attacked all the time._

"Is she okay?" Lin suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Still sleeping. How about Rika?"

Lin's typing never stopped. "She's coping well. Despite knowing the consequences, this is her first time actually witnessing a haunting, so she's in a bit of a shock, but she's okay."

Another peaceful silence followed, until they heard the phone ring.

"I'll get it." Lin volunteered. He slowly placed Rika's head on the table, using his papers as a cushion on her head. It only took the tall man three strides to reach the phone. "Hello?"

"_Yes, uhm, this is Tanaka Etsuko from the front desk. May I speak to Shibuya-san?_"

Lin glanced at his boss before answering. "Shibuya-san is busy right now. I'm his assistant, Lin Koujo, I can take a message for him."

"_Ah, Lin-san. You see, Shibuya-san has visitors. They're quite…persistent in seeing him right now. Was Shibuya-san expecting any visitors today?_"

Lin's eyes narrowed at this. "Tanaka-san, will you please hold on for a moment? I'll go and talk to Shibuya-san."

"_Yes, of course._"

Lin covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Were you expecting anyone today Naru? She says you have visitors."

Naru frowned. He didn't call anyone from the outside to help this case. Unless it was his parents giving him a surprise visit… "Visitors? Who are they?"

Lin placed the phone back to his ear. "Tanaka-san?"

"_Yes, Lin-san?_"

"Shibuya-san wants to know the names of his visitors."

"_A handsome man named Claude and two little kids named Hikari and Kaori Taniyama. The kids claimed that Shibuya-san's their Father but I got a little suspicious since they weren't carrying Shibuya-san's last name, that's why I called. I also had instructions from the Boss to not let anyone disturb your work._"

Naru noticed Lin's face paling. _Is it really my parents?_ He thought.

"Ah yes, thank you for the confirmation." Lin replied. "Please let them wait for a moment. I'll go down and fetch them." He placed the phone back in its place and looked at Naru gravely.

"Luella and Martin?" Naru asked.

Lin shook his head. "Claude and the twins."

Naru's eyes widened, possibly turning into two large donuts. _What in the world …?_

"I'll bring them up and here." Lin took his coat and left the base hurriedly.

Naru heard Mai groan. He saw her eyes slowly fluttering open. "Where…Where am I?" Mai asked groggily.

"You're in base…" He softly answered.

Mai slowly sat up with the guidance of Naru. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

Mai touched her neck and slightly winced. "A bit sore…" She looked at Naru with still-foggy eyes. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" He asked incredulously. "You were dragged by your hair Mai."

She touched the back of her head. "Ah, so that's why it stings a little." She looked behind her and saw Rika asleep on a pile of papers. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Nothing happened to her."

Mai sighed. "Good. Where are the others?"

Naru placed an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Off for a break. We're gonna do a séance tonight. They need their energy."

Mai sighed contentedly and snuggled closer to Naru. "So, you already figured things out?"

He simply nodded. "And here, I thought, that the case would be much harder to solve."

Mai frowned. "Don't be like that. At least no one will get hurt anymore."

He placed a kiss on her head. "I have something to say. And don't freak out." He felt Mai tense up a bit.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Claude and the kids are here. Lin went down to fetch them. He'll be back any minute now." He deadpanned.

Before Mai could scream bloody murder and scare the spirit out of Rika's body, the door to base opened, revealing Lin, Claude, and their two adorable companions, Hikari and Kaori.

The twins stared at their parents before running and screaming towards them.

"MAMAN! PAPA!"

…

**Okay, so I hope everyone's satisfied with this one. I'm sort of, not in my element again this time. Terribly sorry :[**

**See you guys again next time!**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hiya there! :D Yep, I know. My last update was like … 2 weeks ago? Well, I'm sorry. My sister decided to give a surprise visit here. So yeah, I think you guys know what happened next. Borrowing all the stuff from the younger sister and all that -.- It sucks, really.**

**Anyhoo, I'd like to extend my thanks to these amazing people who reviewed :]**

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**Thank you guys so much! :D I enjoyed reading all your reviews :D**

**Here's the next chapter guys :D**

…

"Aaahhh… Hmm… Oooohh… Aaahh! Right there…"

_Twitch…_

"Ah yeesss… Harder…"

_Twitch, twitch…_

"Good… Sooo good…"

_Twitch, twitch – snap!_

"Ayako-san, will you please stop making noises while you're being massaged?" Masako snapped, annoyed that the self-proclaimed Shinto priestess disturbed her peace. She was also having the time of her life. With all the things that she's been doing, her shows and SPR, she just couldn't find the time to pamper herself. Now was the good time, and the red-headed woman beside her was ruining her peace with her moaning sounds.

Ayako simply ignored the medium but decided to keep her mouth shut. She was determined not to let anyone destroy her momentary heaven, even if that meant listening to the once stuck-up medium. _She must be enjoying this too…_

Little do they know, a white orb was floating on one of the darkened corners of the room.

_I have to help…_

…

The silence that engulfed the base room for SPR was suffocating. Rika was now wide awake, pretending to read something on her laptop, when in fact, the document that was displayed on her screen was last year's liquidation report. Lin could feel the tense atmosphere, but paid it no mind. He just concentrated on watching the monitors for any activity, especially on Mai's suite. He glanced at his companion and almost cracked an amused smile. He could clearly see the discomfort she's in. He took her hand in his and squeezed it, telling her that whatever's going to happen next will be over soon.

Mai's legs were tucked under her and she was leaning on Naru's side. Naru was just casually holding Mai around her waist while his legs were crossed. Both were staring at the three new occupants: Claude, Hikari and Kaori.

Mai sighed heavily, clearly disappointed. "Claude…" She called out, disappointment swimming in her bright chocolate eyes.

"Yes, Young Mistress?" He knew how disappointed his Young Mistress was. But he knew that this action was for the good. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if the twins flew on their own without any guardian. He looked at the couple right in front of him. While his Young Mistress was wearing a very anxious and weary expression, the man beside her was simply staring at them. If you were an observer, you could say that the man was simply watching them with no interest at all. But Claude will beg to differ. Despite the blank expression, he could feel that chill running up and down his spine.

"This hasn't happened before." She sighed again heavily. "Why now?"

Hikari and Kaori were both sitting still. They weren't expecting for their mother to be upset. They thought that she'd be happy. _Maybe it's because we skipped school again…_ "Are you not happy Maman?" They asked, not allowing their faithful butler to answer since this was their plan.

Mai smiled gently at her daughters. "I am happy to see you Hikari, Kaori." The twins grinned instantly. "But you disobeyed Maman and Papa again." At that, the twins' smile faltered. "The two of you promised not to skip school again."

The twins looked down dejectedly. "We're sorry…"

"But we just wanted to see Maman and Papa." Kaori said. She looked at her twin who was still staring at her small fingers. "And Hikari says she wasn't feeling well. And me too."

Mai and Naru instantly stood up from their seats. Naru went to Hikari while Mai took hold of Kaori. Even Lin and Rika turned around to look at the twins. "Not feeling well?" Mai placed a hand on her daughter's forehead. "You don't feel hot." She looked at Claude who was still sitting on the couch. "Why didn't you tell us sooner? When did this happen?"

"I just found out hours ago Young Mistress. The nurse from their school called and told me that the twins weren't feeling well and that they wanted to go home." Claude answered directly. "They just kept on saying that they wanted to see you, so I obeyed. I figured that you might help them since they won't talk to me."

Mai nodded and sat back to the couch with Kaori on her lap. She looked at Naru who was now holding a sleeping Hikari. "Is she okay?"

Naru nodded. "She doesn't feel hot either." He slowly sat beside Mai. "But she did say that she's feeling very weird."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "What kind of 'weird'?"

Naru shook his head. Mai sighed and looked at Claude. "Claude, thank you."

Claude stood up and nodded politely. "You're welcome Young Mistress."

"Have you booked a room for yourselves?" Naru piped up.

Claude shook his head. "Hikari-sama and Kaori-sama was planning on rooming with the Young Mistress. I haven't booked a room for myself yet."

He nodded. "You don't have to. We have a room big enough for more than four people."

"Yes, Young Master. I need to go back to the lobby and tell the bellman where to put our luggage's."

"Wait." Mai protested. "You can't go alone."

Claude looked confused for a moment. "Why?"

Naru just sighed and slowly placed Hikari at Mai's side. "I'll go with him."

Kaori instantly left Mai's lap and went on her sister's other side. "Is something wrong Maman?"

Mai just placed a comforting hand on Kaori's head. "Papa will explain later, okay? Go to sleep first. I'm pretty sure you're tired. Look, your sister fell asleep already."

Kaori shook her head. "Maman, we haven't eaten yet."

Mai's eyes narrowed. "You haven't?" She looked at Naru who just nodded, already knowing what Mai would say. "Okay, we'll go together with Papa and Claude." Mai looked behind her. "Rika? Lin-san?"

Rika just sent her a smile. "We'll stay here and order room service."

Mai simply smiled and picked up Kaori while Naru took Hikari, who was still asleep. "Just wake her up when we get there."

All five of them left the base with Claude slowly following behind them.

Rika sighed heavily, leaning on Lin's shoulder. "And I thought Mai would go hysterics this time."

Her stoic companion smirked. "Is that why you were so tense earlier?"

Rika was about to retort when she heard her own stomach rumble. Apparently, her companion heard it too. "Room service?" He asked.

Rika just grinned, much to her chagrin. "Please."

…

If only Mai wasn't in a public place, she would've banged her head several times against a wall. Her daughter, Hikari, was being sulky because she was woken up from her beauty sleep. And now, the twins were arguing again. _At least we were able to order before they even started…_

"_Pulling_ on my hair isn't normal!"

"But you weren't waking up when I tried poking your cheek!"

"That's because you weren't poking hard enough!"

"_I did_!"

"You did not!"

"I did! Claude! I poked Hikari hard enough that she's gonna have a boo-boo tomorrow, right?!"

"…"

"See?! Claude doesn't agree! You're annoying!"

Mai wanted them stop. The other people who were in the restaurant were looking at her daughters with amusement, finding their petty fight adorable. She knew that she could stop them, but for some reason, she was feeling very tired after everything.

"Hikari. Kaori."

A cold, chilling voice stopped their bickering. The twins averted their gaze from their mirror images to the source of the voice, and found that it was their Father, glaring at them. "You are creating a scene."

"But Papa -!" The twins shouted in perfect sync.

"No 'buts'. Both of you. Apologize to each other." He commanded with a straight face.

Mai glared at Naru. "Naru! Don't order them like that!" She hissed angrily and slapped Naru's right arm since she was seated on his left. The twins were right in from of them and Claude sat at the head of the table. Naru simply ignored Mai's little assault and continued staring at his daughters.

Both twins huffed angrily before facing each other again. They both stared at each other before finally giving in to their Father's wishes. "I'm sorry…"

Mai gently smiled at her daughters, proud of what they just did. "No more fighting for both of you, 'kay?"

"Papa." Hikari piped up. "Why are you here with Maman?"

"Are you helping Maman with her work?" Kaori joined.

Naru looked at his daughters. Even though they inherited his good looks – not that Mai wasn't – their facial expressions were definitely from Mai. The way they tilt their head sideways and their eyes swirling with wonder; he had always found those endearing. Looking at them right now, he still feels upset that he wasn't there to help Mai teach their daughters. "No. I'm here for work."

"Eh?!" The twins exclaimed, jumping from their seat and slamming their hands on the table, their eyes as wide as bowling balls. "You work for Maman too?!"

Naru bit his cheek to refrain himself from shouting 'Hell No!', Mai snorted while imagining things about what she would do to Naru, and Claude simply kept his face blank. "No, I run my own company."

"EH?!" They shrieked again, twice as loud.

"Hikari. Kaori. Back to your seats." Mai reprimanded. The twins followed, sitting like a prim and proper princess. But they never left their gaze from their father's face. "So Papa, what do you do?" They asked, curiosity glinting in their eyes.

"I hunt ghosts." He deadpanned, clearly not missing a heartbeat.

Hikari and Kaori stayed silent, looking at their father with their innocent gazes. Mai waited with a bated breath for their reaction. The twins tilted their heads again to one side. "So if you're here…" Hikari started.

"…and you hunt ghosts…" Kaori continued.

"Does that mean there's a ghost here?" They asked again.

Naru smiled at his daughters, proud that they were able to figure things out easily. "Yes, there is." He stared at his daughters before frowning a little bit. "Is something wrong?" The twins' expression wasn't something that he was expecting. They were looking a bit apprehensive or somewhat…uneasy. He looked at Mai who was looking at the twins with concern etched on her face. "Darlings, is something wrong?" Mai prodded gently.

The twins looked at each other before shaking their heads and smiling towards their parents. "No Maman, we're fine." They said.

"But –" Mai was cut off when she felt Naru's hand on her wrist.

Naru stared at the twins. "We'll continue this conversation later, okay?"

The twins nodded slowly, knowing that they can't escape from their parents' questioning gazes. As soon as silence fell on the table, a waiter popped up from Mai's side and served their food. Mai looked at Naru with disbelief in her eyes. "You interrupted me on purpose, did you?"

Naru just smirked at her while Mai rolled her eyes at him. "Jerk…" She muttered.

As the waiter placed the final food on their table, Mai smiled at the twins. "Finish your food, okay?" And with that, the family's brief worry was set aside and replaced with simple conversations and laughter.

…

Ayako and Masako were already on their way back to base, both feeling very happy and relaxed. They just left the massage room and were now walking in a silent corridor. Ayako stretched her arms all the way up. "That felt so good!" She placed both her hands back on her hips and grinned at Masako. "We should do that again sometime, with Mai and Rika."

Masako smiled at the miko. "That would be nice."

"Or maybe…" Ayako sent a teasing smile towards the medium. "…before your wedding day." She saw the medium blush and made a very familiar gesture – covering her mouth with her kimono sleeve. She patted Masako's back. "Oh c'mon. You guys don't have any plans on getting married yet?"

Masako sighed and placed her hand back to her side. "We do. We're just both busy with the things we want to do."

They took a right turn, entering the main lobby of the hotel and walking straight to the elevator. "You can still do it even after you're married, y'know. There's no rule that you have to do _it_ right after the reception."

Masako looked away, her cheeks flushing. "It's not about _that._"

"Then what is it?" They both stepped inside the elevator. Ayako pressed the number 2 button. "What I mean is, you guys don't have to be in a hurry about having a baby once you're married. Other couples take time."

The elevator doors opened and both ladies stepped out, looking for the room number for their base. Masako sighed, looking straight ahead. "It's not about that either."

"Then what is?" Ayako asked. She kept on walking straight, not noticing that her companion had stopped in her trek. "Masako?" Ayako asked again. She looked beside her and panicked slightly, not seeing the medium right beside her. She turned around and noticed that Masako was a few metres away from her. She was facing the elevator. "Masako?" She called out. "Is something wrong?"

Masako raised a hand, telling the priestess to wait and keep quiet for a while. _Must be that pervy spirit…_ Ayako thought. She stood straighter, ready to recite the Nine Cuts whenever something goes wrong.

Ayako just watched Masako, who's probably sensed a ghost, standing there and not moving at all. "Are you sensing something?"

Masako finally moved, turning around to look at Ayako. "Some ghost was trying to reach out to me. But something was blocking…" She trailed off, her eyes roaming the corridor trying to keep an eye for the ghost.

The red-haired miko sighed and flipped her hair. "We should go back to base. I'm pretty sure Lin got that." She pointed something behind her. Masako followed the direction of Ayako's finger. It was pointing at one of the cameras. Masako nodded and followed Ayako, making their way back to base.

…

"That got me on edge." Rika commented from her chair, looking at the monitors spread out neatly in front of her, showing different footage from different locations of the hotel. "At least nothing happened."

They heard the door open to their base, revealing Masako and Ayako, looking at Lin expectantly. Lin got the message and nodded immediately, rewinding the footage for them to see. "It's just the usual." He explained while swiftly typing in his laptop. "The temperature dropped by 10 degrees. We didn't see anything though." He looked at Masako whose eyes were fixed on the monitor. "Did you see anything Hara-san?"

Masako shook her head. "I can feel the spirit reaching out but there was something blocking our communication." She hid her mouth again with her sleeve, her eyes still fixated on the monitor. "That spirit wasn't here before when we did the walkthrough."

Lin nodded, typing down the new information.

"Will this change our plans for tonight?" Ayako inquired, looking at the monitors that shows Mai's suite. "And where are Mai and Naru?"

Lin shook his head and looked straight at Ayako. "We will still continue the séance, unless the spirit that Hara-san saw earlier will intervene."

"Then that would mean that this spirit is also connected to the case." Masako concluded. Lin inwardly agreed and continued with his work while Rika just sat there, listening to the conversation while looking at the monitors.

Ayako silently processed Masako's words. "We're missing something here…" She mumbled, but was still heard by the occupants in the room.

"What?" Masako stared at Ayako who was looking quite…deep in her thoughts at the moment. Rika didn't move a muscle, but her attention was quickly directed to Ayako. Even Lin's interest was piqued a bit.

Ayako shook her head and sighed. "I know that this case seems pretty easy with all the history given. But still, there are some questions left unanswered. I mean, is it really true that this Mori Emi was playing on the siblings?" Ayako shrugged and flipped her red hair again. "They're just rumours made by the customers of the inn anyway."

"But there weren't any details saying that Mori Emi was close to another guy aside from Shouta and Takashi." Masako responded.

"But it's still a fact that when Mori Emi came back from wherever her parents migrated, she was a high school girl here. I'm pretty sure you know how high school is. Boys and sex scandals and all that." Ayako defended, her pitch rising a little. "With her beauty, I'm pretty sure she's captured a few boys from her school."

Masako furrowed her eyebrows. _That's a possibility, but…_ "You're probably over-analyzing things Ayako-san. Hopefully, we'll get answers later from the séance. I'm pretty sure Naru knows the questions to ask."

Ayako sighed. The medium might probably be right about her overthinking things, but still, everything still seems pretty odd. "Yeah, maybe…" She trailed off, directing her gaze at nowhere in particular. "But everything that we've heard are just rumours, right? Nothing definite aside from the police reports, names and history."

The more Masako thought about it, the more confused she gets. What Ayako has just said was true; everything was based on the customer's rumours. _Plus there's this ghost targeting Mai asking her to be his bride…_ She thought.

Both girls were silent, clearly contemplating about their own suspicions. During their conversation, Lin inwardly took note of Ayako's idea. It was a possibility that Mori Emi brought different guys at the inn because according to their research, the voice of the man that Mori Emi talked with varied from time to time. It wasn't specified that the voices belonged to either Shouta or Takashi. But then again, it could still be either of them since the customers said that it was 'hushed voices'. Lin sighed inwardly and continued with his business. He knows that questions will be answered soon.

Ayako plopped herself down on the couch. "Aaaahh! All this thinking should be done by Naru. Really, I think he's slacking off."

Masako followed Ayako's action, though a bit more proper. "It has always like this isn't it? Until Mai dreams something, only then we'll be able to figure everything out."

The miko's eyes lit up in acknowledgement. She stared again at the stoic man who was typing in his laptop. "Right! Lin, you didn't answer my question earlier. Where are they?"

Lin just continued his typing. "I'm not sure but they're probably babysitting the twins."

Ayako stomped one of her foot on the ground, her face looked definitely appalled. "Hikari and Kaori are here?!"

Masako's eyes widened at the announcement and turned to look at Lin. "Why are they here?"

Rika jumped up from her seat and stretched her back and arms, working out her joints from seating too long. "They said that they weren't feeling well." She placed her hands at her hips. "But not really sick _sick_, if you know what I mean."

"Eh? I don't understand." Ayako said, frowning. "What do you mean not sick _sick_?"

"It seems that the twins' intuitions are kicking in." Lin replied for Rika, sensing her difficulty in understanding what the twins really meant. He shifted his body to the right, placing his right arm at the top of the chair. "They did mention it once that they could see Gene in their dreams."

Ayako's curiosity about the twins' admission to that rose. "Since when did they tell you?"

Lin sighed. He abandoned his laptop and sat on the single couch. Rika followed, seating right beside Masako. "You're gonna have to promise me though that whatever conversation we'll have in this room will never get to Mai." He gave a pointed gaze at the occupants of the room, especially Ayako who he knew that her mouth would just sometimes babble on their own without her knowledge.

Ayako blushed under his gaze, knowing full well what it meant. "I – I promise." She stuttered.

Lin nodded and averted his gaze to Rika. Rika understood and cleared her throat. "I'll start then."

Masako and Ayako's eyes turned to Mai's secretary; shock was evident in their eyes. "You _know_?" Ayako asked incredulously.

But before Rika could start, the door to their base opened.

"Uncle Koujo?" A little voice called out.

"Ah, Hikari-chan, maybe you should step inside?" John's voice floated inside the base room, making Masako smile.

"But Maman told me to not just step inside a room without permission!" She said indignantly.

The girls that occupied the base giggled quietly, not wanting to interrupt the interesting conversation. Lin cracked an amused smile. As much as he wanted to hear more, they needed to get inside. "Hikari-chan, I'm here." He called out.

A small head popped out from the side of the door. Hikari grinned and ran towards her tall Uncle. Before Lin could stand up, Hikari jumped and landed on his lap perfectly. Lin winced slightly but ignored the pain on his legs. "You seem well already Hikari-chan." He said, rubbing Hikari's small back gently.

"Mmhm!" She nodded cutely, her black locks swaying in front of her face. She looked at their audience and saw her two aunts and grandmere. She gave them a big 'Hello!' and a wave, in which the adults returned heartily.

"Where's your sister, Hikari-chan?" Masako asked, looking at the newcomers. Claude was actually also there standing behind the couch where Ayako is sitting, just unnoticed, like he has always been. John had settled on Masako's opposite side.

"Ah. Grandpere and Papa went to Maman's suite, carrying our bags. Kaori and Maman will be unpacking our bags and fix our clothes." Hikari explained with a childish tone. "And, I also wanted to talk to Uncle Koujo, that's why I came here."

"Eh? About what?" Ayako asked.

Hikari shook her head. "It's a secret!" She grinned. She jumped off from Lin's lap and tugged his hand. "Uncle Koujo, let's go over there." She pointed to where his laptop was sitting.

Masako and Ayako were about to protest but Rika jumped in first. "Of course Hikari, we understand."

Lin nodded and carried Hikari all the way to his previous seat, placing her in his laptop.

Ayako glared at Rika. "What was that about?" She hissed lowly.

Rika just sighed. "I have a feeling this is about what we were supposed to say earlier. Gene was the one who told them that something's wrong with Mai." She looked at the direction of Lin and Hikari, and noticed that the young girl was holding a folded white sheet of paper…and it looked _very_ familiar. As far as she can remember with her conversations with Lin, she hasn't mentioned anything about the threat on Mai, except that she did tell him about her noticing Mai's subtle change of attitude sometimes. As much as she wanted to tell Naru or Lin, she promised Mai that she wouldn't so that no one else will be in danger.

As soon as Hikari opened the paper, she instantly knew what the paper was. She can hear her heart pounding hard in her chest. Without wasting another second, she instantly stood up and shouted Hikari's name very loudly that she was sure that every person in the room would become deaf for a minute.

Hikari's eyes were absolutely wide open, an expression that made her look guilty because she stole a cookie from someone else's cookie jar. Rika wanted to calm herself down, but seeing _that_ paper, in the hands of Mai's own child, it wasn't something that she could control herself. "Where did you get that Hikari?" She asked, hardness in her voice.

The child's eyes were now tearing up, obviously terrified of her aunt's sudden outburst. When the dam finally opened, all hell broke loose. Loud screaming bounced on every wall of the room. Lin took the paper from Hikari and set it down next to his laptop, not bothering to look at it. He picked her up and started rocking her lightly, glaring at Rika from Hikari's shuddering back.

Ayako stood up from the couch, finally regaining her sense of hearing. She strode towards Rika, who was still looking at the crying young child, her eyes blazing with anger. "What in the world is wrong you Rika?!" She demanded from the woman in front of her who snapped her head towards her. Ayako couldn't understand the expressions flitting on Rika's face: anger, confusion and … worry?

"It's _not_ what you think!" She snapped, her voice finally breaking.

"Then tell us what we're supposed to think!" Ayako retaliated, heavily angered by Rika's sudden outburst towards the little child. "No one just goes _screaming_ at a young child who hasn't even done anything!"

Before Rika could reply, she felt two hands fall on her shoulder and pull her back. She turned around and saw Mai's face, etched with worry. She turned to face Ayako again and saw that she was in the same position as her with Bou-san holding her in place.

"What's going on between you two Rika?" She heard Mai and faced her again.

"The paper…" She whispered. "Hikari and Kaori found the paper…"

Mai's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What pa –" Mai's brown eyes instantly lit up in recognition. She slowly turned her head towards Hikari who was now in the arms of her Father, her sobs slowly dying down. She saw Naru holding a paper on his other hand, his eyes fixated on the paper. She saw him handing the paper over to Lin and gently pat Hikari's small back, whispering words of comfort in her ear. She felt a small tug at her shirt. She looked down and saw Kaori, her eyes slowly tearing up.

"Maman…" Kaori said softly. "We're sorry…" Then, she started weeping loudly. Without any hesitation, Mai lifted Kaori in her arms and imitated Naru's gestures.

It took a little while for the twins' crying to subside. When they started to calm down, Mai could feel the heavy tension hanging in the air. All of them were now seated at the base's lounge. Both children were asleep on their parents' laps, breathing evenly.

Mai was obviously avoiding their gazes. She was looking at Kaori who was sleeping soundly on her lap, wishing that she was in her shoes.

"Mai."

_That bossy tone again…_ She sighed and looked at Naru who was right beside her. "What is it?" She answered.

"Why didn't you tell us about this?" The paper was now back in his hands.

She sighed and looked away from everyone. "That's just a piece of paper. Nothing happened anyway…"

"Nothing happened…_yet_." Her foster father replied, trying to keep his anger at bay.

Mai winced. She knew that everyone was either angry or upset at her for keeping this matter a secret. "We – I mean, I just didn't want to –"

"We?" Naru finally looked at her, his eyes giving her a dirty look.

Mai panicked. "No! I just said -!"

"I was there when that paper was faxed!" Rika shouted, overpowering Mai's little voice. Mai looked at her, surprise and fear written all over Rika's face.

Lin scowled slightly, not liking that both girls were hiding something from them. "When did this happen?" He asked.

"When the twins and Naru went out for shopping the entire day." Mai admitted, her head slightly hanging low.

Something clicked inside Naru's head. "That was the time when Hikari and Kaori asked you whether you were okay or not…" He mumbled.

Mai just nodded meekly. But nonetheless, finally telling everyone about her problem made her shoulders feel lighter.

"Ne, Mai. Have you told anyone about this other than Rika?" Yasuhara piped up. Mai blinked, feeling a bit startled seeing Yasuhara pop out of nowhere. She just shook her head. "Just me and Rika. Not even Claude knows."

Silence fell again on the entire room, but Mai decided that it was time to apologize. "I'm sorry." She sighed and looked at her friends. "I just didn't want everyone to be a part of this, if ever the threat is true." She ran her fingers along Kaori's black locks. "Especially the little ones, I don't want them to be worried all the time."

"Well they are now, as you can see." Ayako pointed out.

Mai smiled ruefully. "Yeah. Really, we're sorry."

Rika bowed in apology. "Me too. I'm sorry. We just didn't want any one of you to be involved in this mess." She lifted her head up and pointed her regretful gaze towards Lin, who just nodded in response. But Rika could see the slightest – _slightest_ curve of his lips upward. She breathed out a sigh of relief.

"We'll investigate this after we finish this case." Naru said, his business-like tone returning. "Now, I want everyone to prepare for the séance. John, Bou-san, Yasuhara, go and change the tapes. Matsuzaki-san and Hara-san, I want you to stay in Mai's room. We'll be doing the séance there."

Everyone gave their own sound of approval and started moving. Masako and John gave Mai and Rika a gentle smile before leaving the room. Both Ayako and Bou-san patted their shoulders, while Yasuhara just grinned at them. As soon as everyone left, Naru called Lin. "What is it Naru?"

"I believe Hikari and Kaori told you something before?"

Lin nodded and started explaining everything from the twins' first call up to Gene telling the twins that Mai was being stalked by a revengeful ghost. This got Rika, especially Mai, in a daze. Mai's mind was racing, a lot of questions popping in her head.

Naru sighed and looked at Mai with irritation in his eyes. Her cheeks puffed in irritation. "What're you staring at?"

He looked away and tucked a strand of hair behind Hikari's ears. "I thought that your magnetism for danger in the paranormal would decrease since you chose a different path. But it seems that it hasn't." He commented blandly, in which Mai's irritation rose up a notch.

"Say that straight to my face your jerk!" She growled lowly, making sure that her kids wouldn't wake up.

Naru just gave her a smug look. "Why? Are you deaf now Mai?"

"You -!" She resisted the urge to shout near his ear. Instead, she mentally cursed his narcissistic and dumb-assed attitude.

While the two were still arguing, Rika and Lin just ignored the couple and continued to finish their own jobs, but not without an amused smile plastered on their faces.

_Some things just don't change, do they…_

…

**Okay, so the séance part will appear next chapter. I'm terribly sorry for making all of you wait :[ Anyhoo, I hope you all liked this chapter :D I worked hard for this! :3**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so I have an announcement. Starting tomorrow until Sunday, I'll be at the hospital. No, I'm not going to be admitted. It's actually my brother. He got admitted a couple of hours ago and my parents are at the hospital right now, watching over him. I'm left all alone here at home since someone has to stay behind and guard the house. I was planning on updating this Saturday, but since this happened, I decided to just post whatever I had managed to type today. I've been given strict instructions from my parents not to bring any portable gadgets so that my brother could get all the rest he needs. So I hope ya'll be patient enough to wait for next week :]**

**I'll be doing the shout-outs next chapter since I need to pack but to those who reviewed, thank you so much! :] **

…

Their only source of light was coming from the candle that sat in the middle of the living room in Mai's suite. Tables and chairs were transferred to Rika's room to ensure the safety of everyone since their ghost is one hell of a murderer. Masako sat in the middle near the candle, together with Naru. The rest, Ayako, Bou-san, and John were standing at the side, preparing themselves for the worst. Lin, Mai, Hikari, Kaori, Rika, Yasuhara and Claude were at base. As much as Mai wanted to watch the entire ordeal, she and Rika had to keep Hikari and Kaori occupied while the others were on her room doing the séance.

Masako had her eyes closed and her head down, focusing her energy on finding the evil ghost. She can feel the stares from her companions but she ignored those. _Listen… Focus… Breathe in, breathe out…_ She kept repeating those words to be able to find the spirit that their team has been looking for. And with one final breath, she lifted her head and started her chant. "Our beloved Fukui Takashi, we bring you gifts from life into death. Commune with us Fukui Takashi, and move among us."

All of a sudden, a cold gush of wind entered the room, officially blowing out the little flame that the candle had supplied. The room was now eerily silent and dark. Everyone, even those who were watching from the base, waited for something – or anything to happen. John was gripping his bottle of holy water tightly and Ayako and Bou-san prepared themselves to chant. Everything felt like the scene was at stand-still…until Masako's entire body slightly slumped forward, like she was relaxing. Right then and there, they knew that spiritually, Masako wasn't with them anymore.

Naru steadied himself. He can feel Lin's shiki circling around him, fully aware that an evil ghost had possessed his companion's body. "Are you Fukui Takashi-san?" He questioned in a steady voice, not wanting to anger the ghost at his first inquiry.

Again, eerie silence fell on the room. The spectators waited for a response from the ghost in Masako's body…but none came. After a few minutes of waiting, Naru decided to ask the question again. "Are you Fukui Takashi-san?"

This time, with only a few seconds to wait, they saw Masako's body straighten itself. They saw her turn her head from left to right, as if examining the room that she was in. Then finally, her empty purple eyes locked itself onto Naru's cerulean ones. "Who are you?" Masako's voice and Takashi's voice were somehow blended into one, making Masako sound like an alien.

Naru hated to repeat himself more than once. He can feel his irritation rising but tried to keep it low. _You're talking to a killer-ghost…_ He chanted inside his head. "Are you Fukui Takashi-san?" He repeated for the third time.

"I heard you the first time _and_ the second time, you brat." Masako growled. "What do you want from me?"

He had to bite both his inner cheek and tongue to stop himself from retorting angrily to the evil ghost. "Are you the one responsible for the deaths in this hotel?"

Masako grinned evilly. "You bet I am!" She stood up and looked at herself. Naru saw her grimace slightly. The ghost must've just realized that he possessed a girl's body.

Ayako, Bou-san and John took one step forward, ready to charge whenever the ghost inside Masako's body attacks.

Masako started to walk but she unexpectedly stopped after three steps. "The hell is with these slippers…" She mumbled, staring at her own straw slippers in disgust.

Naru followed suit, standing up and facing Masako. "Why did you do it?" He asked, his voice a bit louder this time so that the ghost's attention would return to him.

Masako's purple eyes instantly blazed with pure anger, her teeth clenching. "I hate women…" He mumbled. "…women who promise to wait for us but in the end would leave and forget about everything!" She shouted. The room started to shake…and Masako was still shouting, cursing everything about women.

Naru signalled the three who were in the room. As soon as they started chanting, Masako collapsed but the room hasn't stopped shaking. The clattering of dishes and utensils can be heard from the kitchen and rapping sounds were all over the place. Naru ran to Masako and picked her up, telling the others to leave immediately. He ran straight to the door but had to wait for the others to open it. John came running, bringing with him a stool from God-knows-where he picked it up. He tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn. With the adrenaline running through his veins, he slammed the stool against the doorknob. Miraculously, the doorknob fell from its place. Naru, Ayako and Bou-san fled out first, with John stepping out last since he was holding the door open for everyone.

When everyone was already at the corridor, they all felt like they were at a stand-still. Everyone was panting, well, except for Naru of course, who was gently putting Masako on the floor. John immediately went to Masako's side and felt her forehead. Naru looked at Ayako who was checking her husband for any unfelt or unseen injuries. "Matsuzaki-san." He called.

Ayako nodded and took Masako's other side. She checked her pulse and touched her forehead. "She's fine." At that, John sighed, thanking God for keeping his fiancée safe. "She might have a headache when she wakes up though. And make sure that she drinks a lot of water. She did scream like a banshee earlier."

John nodded and slowly lifted his fiancée. Naru sighed. "We should go back to base." He said in a low voice. His arms and legs were suddenly feeling a bit heavy, but he didn't mind that. He was quite peeved for not getting any useful information from the ghost. Well, he did get one – just _one_ information, and it's about Takashi's hatred for women. _Women who don't keep their promises…_

The entire trek back to their base was a silent one. Well, everyone was half-expecting that something bad would happen during the séance.

Once they arrived at base, another situation faced them. It wasn't particularly life-threatening, _for now_. It was just the usual Mai-getting-possessed-by-some-spirit.

…

Lin and Yasuhara, the only spectators from their base, watched the monitors intently. They watched as Rika's room was being mercilessly ransacked by some strong force that was coming from the living room. The same goes for the kitchen. Every utensil was flying in different directions. But what surprised them the most was Mai's room; it was completely untouched. The cameras that were setup in the living room and in Rika's room were shaking, but the ones in Mai's room weren't.

In the living room, they saw Masako collapse and a purple figure flew out from her body. Lin inwardly sighed. They didn't need the ghost to possess someone from their team.

"What a huge mishap this case would be if Masako will still be possessed…" Yasuhara mumbled, knowing the possibilities if someone would be possessed by the evil ghost.

Their trail of thoughts were interrupted though when they heard a frantic scream coming from the other side of the room.

They hastily removed their headphones and turned around. Claude and Rika were hovering over an unconscious Mai who was now probably on the floor since they couldn't see her head at the couch, while Hikari and Kaori were sobbing again, hugging each other tightly.

"Koujo!" Rika cried out, holding Mai's right hand.

Lin instantly rushed to them. Rika moved aside but didn't relinquish Mai's hand. "What's wrong?" She asked as soon as Lin reached them.

Lin saw that Mai's head was cradled to Claude's lap. Claude was holding a handkerchief against the back of Mai's head. As if noticing his gaze, Claude answered. "Young Mistress hit the back of her head at the corner of the table. She was sitting right in front of Hikari and Kaori-sama, playing 'I Spy'."

"She – She just fell down all of a sudden!" Rika exclaimed. Her hands were slightly shaking.

"Is it bleeding?" He asked Claude.

Claude slowly removed the handkerchief from Mai's head. There were spots of red blood on his white handkerchief. "Yes. But it seems to be just a little scratch." He deduced.

Lin was just silent, looking at Mai. The moment he reached her, one of his shiki brushed against his cheek and told him that Mai was possessed. But he didn't need to worry since the ghost that possessed her was harmless.

He instructed Claude and Rika to remove all but one pillow on the couch. He slowly carried Mai and gently placed her. But as soon as his arms left her back and legs, her eyes opened widely, startling Lin. He took a few steps back as he watched Mai lift herself off the couch.

"Maman?" The twins called out in their little voices. They felt that twist in their stomach before their mother collapsed. And usually, when that happens, something bad would always follow. And now, their mother is wide awake, but somehow, they could feel that something was wrong with her.

They saw their Uncle whisper something to Aunt Rika, who in response, nodded furiously and grabbed Yasuhara's hand.

Rika and Yasuhara immediately went to the twins. Yasuhara took Hikari's hand while Rika took Kaori. "C'mon. We'll go sit at Uncle Koujo's chair, okay?" She could hear her own voice quivering. She tried smiling, but she didn't know how it looked like in front of the kids.

"But Uncle Koujo's chair is small…" Kaori whispered.

Hikari slowly nodded. "We won't fit…"

Rika let out a nervous chuckle and once again tugged at their little arms. "Oh, we will. Now, come on."

The twins leaped off the couch and held onto both Rika and Yasuhara's hands. Both adults slowly led them towards Lin's chair. Rika sat down first and offered her lap to the twins. "Over here now." She said gently. "Your butts are small, the two of you will definitely fit."

The twins looked at each other before nodding reluctantly. Hikari climbed on Rika's lap first, followed by Kaori. And as expected, they did fit, one leg for each. Rika held them tightly so that they would not fall. Yasuhara stood still in front of them, preparing his mind for the worst. "Hold on to Aunt Rika, okay?" She whispered in their ear. Again, they just nodded and watched their mother who was now standing up, staring at Lin with a blank expression on her face.

The door to the base suddenly opened, revealing the group who had just experienced the wrath of an evil ghost.

The ones who just came in could feel the slight tension hanging in the air, and as always, Naru would be the one to slice it. "What's going on?" He asked in a stern voice. He looked at Mai who was still staring at Lin. "Mai?" He called. But there was no reaction from the girl.

"Ayako, Bou-san." They heard Rika call from the other side of the room. They all looked at her. They were quite stunned to see the twins sitting on top of her, but judging from Rika's face, she didn't mind it all. In fact, she was looking quite nervous.

Seeing that the twins were away from Mai, they knew that something was wrong with her. Both grandparents rushed to Rika's aide and lifted the twins into their arms. Bou-san took Hikari while Ayako took Kaori. Ayako turned to Rika to ask her what the problem was, but before she could ask, Rika mouthed the word 'possessed'. Ayako's eyes widened. _Seriously… This girl… _She saw that Masako was still in John's arms.

"You're misunderstanding everything." Mai finally uttered.

Naru took a step forward. "What are we misunderstanding? And who are you?"

Mai's steady gaze shifted to Naru. "Like I said, everything." Then, her gaze shifted back again to Lin. "You're smart enough to know that not all things people say are to be believed." And with that cryptic statement, Mai's eyes closed and her body started to fall backwards.

Lin caught her first since he was the closest to her. Naru and Claude rushed to her side. "The ghost's gone." Lin said, slowly handing Mai over to Naru.

"Is there anything that I can assist you with, Young Master?" Claude asked, wanting to help Mai.

Naru shook his head. "Just stay with the kids. I need Matsuzaki-san here."

Claude nodded and swiftly made his way to Ayako. "Matsuzaki-sama."

Ayako handed Kaori over to Claude. "I know." She went straight to the couch where Naru placed Mai. Again, like with Masako, she checked her pulse and touched her forehead. "How long was she possessed?"

"10 minutes." Lin answered.

Ayako nodded and caressed Mai's cheek before turning around. "She'll be fine. Don't worry. She can even attend to her meeting tomorrow."

"Rika." Naru's voice floated.

"Yes, Naru?" She looked at Naru with weary eyes.

"You and Mai are gonna have to change rooms."

Rika instantly nodded, not needing an explanation from the young man. "I understand. How about our clothes? When are we going to get it?"

"Early morning tomorrow, before Mai's scheduled meeting. Take Lin with you."

Rika looked at Lin for an approval. He just gave her a nod which made her smile. "Okay."

Naru nodded and looked at his team. "To those who want to retire for the night, you can."

"How about you Naru-bou?" He asked in a low voice. Hikari was already breathing evenly, indicating that she was already asleep.

"I'll just check the footage from the séance. I'll report the findings tomorrow." Naru looked at Yasuhara who was still standing on the same spot. "Yasuhara, if it's okay with you, I want you to stay behind and watch over the twins while they sleep."

Yasuhara simply grinned and saluted. "No problemo commander."

Naru then averted his gaze to Claude who was standing like how a butler should. "You too Claude. Keep an eye on Mai."

Claude bowed. "Understood, Young Master."

With everything finally settled, everyone silently shuffled out of the room. Bou-san and Ayako put the sleeping twins on the couch. John picked up his fiancée, intending to bring her to her room with Ayako. As soon as the last person stepped out, Naru sighed and looked at Mai who was sleeping peacefully.

Yasuhara, who was seating on a single couch right beside the twins, stretched his entire body, working out the kinks on his back. "This case is starting to get complicated…"

Naru just looked away from Mai and proceeded to do work. "So it seems…"

…

**I'll make it up to you guys next week, okay? I hope you guys liked this! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello there everyone! :] Sorry for the late upload of this chapter. I forgot the e-mail address that I used in my account, hahahaha. So yeah, sorry :D **

**Anyhoo, this is the other half of the last chapter. Sorry if it's not my usual 4K word content. I'll make it up to you guys next time :]**

**So, to all those people who wished good health for my brother, thank you so much :]**

**tohru78****  
****Artemis- Sadie- Athena- Piper.k im****  
****chibi konzen****  
****ai. uta****  
****SolemnPassive****  
****PhoenixNimbus. 292****  
****crimsonplay****  
****Naruisawesome****  
****SioPao-chan****  
****xSapphirexRosesxFanx****  
****Damaged Forest Spirit****  
****thearistocrat**

**Your reviews are deeply appreciated. Thank you :]**

**So, here's Chapter Fifteen! :D**

…

_Mai was standing in a children's park that was oddly…void of children. She slowly turned herself around, surveying the park. She can see brown leaves strewn everywhere, like the place has never been cleaned. The bushes that surrounded the park weren't well-maintained. She slowly made her way towards the center where the see-saw was placed. She passed by a little slide and saw that it was full of rust. "Where is this place…" She mumbled softly. _

"_This little park used to be a part of the inn that the Fukui's were running."_

_Mai swiftly turned her head to the left…and saw Naru's twin, Gene. "Gene! You scared me." She let out a breath and smiled. _

_Gene just smirked. "I've been your spirit guide for years, and you still get scared."_

_Mai rolled her eyes and chose to ignore his comment. "So, what are you showing me today?"_

_Gene sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you. I don't show you stuff, I simply guide you."_

"_I've been saying the same thing for years, and you still complain." Mai replied with a smug look on her face. _

"_Look." He pointed towards the rusty swings._

_Mai turned to look at where he's pointing. Three little kids occupied the swing seats, their back facing toward her. She can see them talking animatedly with each other. "Who are they?" She asked._

_He pointed at the swing seat that was situated at the center. "That's Mori Emi."_

_Mai gasped and remembered her conversation with Yasuhara and Lin at the base. They were the ones who told her about their findings while the others were at her suite, preparing for the séance. "So the ones who are now pushing her swing…are Shouta and Takashi?" _

_Gene nodded. "This was before she flew out of Japan with her parents."_

_Mai simply nodded and looked at the scene before her. Both boys were still pushing Emi's swing with a big smile on their faces while Emi kept on laughing, her blonde locks swaying wildly in front of her face. Even from a distance, Mai could see her fair complexion shining under the rays of the sun. "She's a pretty little girl…" Mai mumbled._

"_Listen." Gene said._

_Mai nodded and listened to the three children talking something about chocolate balls and sprinkles. After a few minutes of listening, nothing substantial had come out from their mouths. She was starting to wonder if she was supposed to look at something, not listen. She turned her head to the left to look at Gene and ask him, but he wasn't there anymore. "Gene?" She called out. _

"_Shouta!"_

_Mai swiftly turned her head towards the source of the voice. It was a woman's voice. 'Must be their mother?' She can hear the cracking of dried leaves being stepped on._

"_Shouta!" The woman called out again. "Where are you?"_

_One of the boys stopped pushing Emi's swing and sighed with disappointment, his small arms dangling at his sides. His black hair swayed slightly together with the gentle wind. "Okaa-san! Over here!" He shouted._

_Just a few steps away from the swing that the children occupied, a woman who looked to be like in her thirties appeared from behind the huge trees that surrounded the park. She was wearing a black kimono with white floral patterns and swirls. Her black hair was tied up in a high bun, making her look like a strict woman. But Mai could see it in her amber-colored eyes the gentleness swarming in it. The woman smiled at the scene that greeted her. "How many times do I have to remind you kids? The devices here are quite dangerous. They're all rusty. They might break."_

_Emi, whose swing was still in motion, stopped it by grinding her feet against the ground creating little dusts swirl around her little feet. She stood up slowly and dusted off her pink kimono. She looked at the gentle woman in front of her and bowed in apology. "I'm very sorry Naoki-san. I asked Shouta-kun and Takashi-kun to come with me here. I really wanted to ride the swing."_

_Naoki just patted the little girl's head, telling her that she was forgiven. She looked at Shouta with a slightly disapproving look. "Shouta, your room is a mess."_

_Shouta huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "It's still gonna get messy anyway when I sleep!"_

_Naoki just sighed and lightly grabbed one of Shouta's arms. "You're coming with me young man." She bent over to whisper something in his ear. "Emi-chan won't definitely like it if you just leave your mess anywhere."_

_When she saw Shouta's eyes sparkle with determination, she inwardly congratulated herself. Shouta took her mother's hand and looked at his brother and Emi. "I'll be back!" With that, Shouta half-dragged his mother back to their inn._

_Emi giggled. "Shouta-kun can be lazy sometimes, ne, Takashi-kun?"_

_Mai, who was the one and only spectator of the entire exchange, gasped loudly. She didn't know how it happened but after the scene with Shouta and his mother, he was now bending on one knee beside Emi, whose jaw had literally dropped. His back was rigid and his little hands were curled into small fists that were shaking slightly._

"_Ta – Ta – Takashi-kun?" Emi stuttered, clearly embarrassed and confused with his actions._

_But before Mai could hear Takashi's answer, a rather strong wind passed and she instinctively covered her face with her arms. With one eye slightly open, she looked at Emi and Takashi. Both were still on the same spot…and they weren't experiencing the strong wind that she's currently fighting. 'What's going on?' The strong wind was still there but she could start feeling large droplets of water hitting her skin and clothes. She was starting to feel cold. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her torso, allowing her hair to block her face from the incoming storm inside her dream. She can't hear anything anymore aside from the wind and rain. She slowly opened her eyes…and was suddenly greeted with darkness around her. She brought her left arm back to her face, wanting to see more of her new surroundings._

_She was still in the park where Emi, Shouta, and Takashi played earlier. Again, the place was unoccupied. 'Of course it would be…' Mai inwardly scolded herself. All of a sudden, she can hear the crunching of leaves, splashing of water, and pounding of heavy feet. 'Someone's running…' She instantly identified where the noise was, since it was the same place as where Naoki appeared. _

_A man came out from the forest and into the park. He bent over, his hands on his knees, and started breathing heavily. He was wearing a black hooded jacket which obscured his face. After a few breaths, he started walking slowly towards the swing. He stopped right in front of the center seat. What Mai saw next chilled her to the bone. She saw the man bring out a bloody knife from his back pocket and started digging under the center swing. 'This man couldn't be…' She watched him dig, dig, and dig…until he stopped. She saw him kneel completely onto the ground and plunged his hand onto the hole that he created. But before Mai could see the object that he was retrieving from the ground, the image right in front of her swirled, making her take a few steps back, afraid that she'd get sucked in. The storm had stopped, but it left her wet and cold. _

_She was back in the dark void again, except that there were no floating white orbs. "Gene? Where are you?" She called out, hoping that the kind twin will pop out of nowhere again, even if it scared her. But she was only met by silence. With nothing else to do but move forward, she started walking slowly, sincerely hoping that she'll meet up with Gene along the way. _

_Five minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Eugene Davis. She was still shivering a bit from the storm that had happened earlier. 'And my hair's dripping…' She sighed and sat cross-legged on the spot. 'I need to go back…' She thought. She took deep breaths, trying to relax her body and feel for that familiar tug at the back of her mind. When she felt her entire body slump, she started looking for that silver string, hoping to get her back to her real body. But again, before she could find that string, she felt heavy hands land on her shoulder and pull her back. She screamed._

"NO!" She can hear a loud ruckus from her both sides. She can feel herself thrashing around like crazy. She didn't know why, but she couldn't control her own body. It was like, she was still struggling from the hands that suddenly appeared in her dream.

"MAI! MAI!" _Naru… _He was shaking her shoulders, trying to wake her up.

"Oi you stone-headed monk! Hold her legs down!" She can hear Ayako's panicked voice on her left.

"I'm trying you old witch!" _So it's Otou-san…_ She can feel his hands gripping her ankles tightly that it hurt, but it didn't matter.

"LIN! HER HEAD!" In an instant, she felt hands on both sides of her head, but the moment Lin's hand touched her head, her thrashing stopped. _Did Lin-san do something?_

"Did you do something Lin-san?" She heard Yasuhara from her right. "She stopped."

"No." Was Lin's curt reply.

She felt a warm hand on her left cheek, and it was trembling slightly. "Mai. Wake up."

"Naru…" She whispered weakly. "My…shoulders…"

He tenderly touched her shoulders. "Does it hurt? I'm sorry if I was a bit rough."

Slowly, she opened her heavy eyes. She can faintly see a black blob hovering over her, it might not be clear to her right now but she knew that it was Naru. "No… Hands…"

"Hands?" He asked, a bit lost on what she's talking about. Of course, he used his hands to shake her. "What do you mean by hands?"

"Let me check her first Naru. She seems a bit disoriented." Ayako said, making her way towards Mai.

Mai felt the warmth of Naru's hand leave her shoulder and was replaced by Ayako's cold ones. "Mai, can you hear me?"

Her vision was getting blurry again. Sleep was starting to reign on her. She can hear Ayako and Naru's incessant call for her to wake up, but she just couldn't. Her mind was screaming for her to fall asleep…and fall asleep she did.

…

"Is she okay?" Yasuhara's concerned voice floated around the base.

Ayako meticulously checked on Mai. Before Mai fell asleep, Bou-san fetched Ayako's medical kit just in case. And it did come in handy.

"Yeah." Ayako neatly put her stethoscope back into her kit and looked at Naru. "Help me sit her up. I need to check her shoulders."

Naru nodded. With his right arm around her waist and the other arm at the back of her head, he gradually lifted her upper body until she was sitting. He then transferred himself right behind Mai to support her entire upper body weight. Ayako nodded and took hold of the hem at Mai's shirt. "Lift up her arms. I need to take the shirt off."

Naru glared at Lin and Yasuhara who immediately got the message. Yasuhara just turned around while Lin was standing in front of the monitors. Naru lifted her arms and Ayako slowly removed her shirt.

Bou-san, who was at the end of the couch near Mai's feet, sighed. "Really Naru. She's a model. Yasuhara has seen her in bikinis and lingerie. Lin has already seen her in her underwear too."

"And she does runway shows too." Yasuhara chimed in, grinning like an idiot although no one had seen it. "So basically everyone here in Japan has seen her without her clothes."

"Will you guys please shut up?" Ayako snapped. "Naru, her arms please."

"Oh c'mon Ayako-san. I know you agree with us, right Bou-san?" Yasuhara teased.

After putting Mai's shirt back on, Ayako glared at Yasuhara. "Don't bring me into your stupid conversation." She flipped her hair and placed her hands on her hips. "Her shoulders are okay. Whatever complains she has about her shoulders, it might be something related to the dream that she had. So we'll just have to wait for tomorrow."

"Naru, you should bring her to the room already and get her a change of clothes. They're wet." Lin suggested. He was at his usual spot in the base, typing away in his laptop.

Naru nodded and looked at Bou-san. "Are the others still in the room?"

"Yeah." He grabbed Ayako's medical kit. "Hikari and Kaori are still asleep. They probably haven't sensed anything…yet."

"That's good." He sighed and started carrying Mai. "I'll go on ahead then." He left the room with a dangling Mai in his arms.

Yasuhara closed the door and yawned loudly. With his index finger, he fixed his glasses at the bridge of his nose. "Why is this case getting stressful every single day?" He sat back on his previous couch and placed his legs at the table in front.

"C'mon shounen." Bou-san lightly punched Yasuhara's shoulder. "Aren't you used to this type of stress already?"

As much as Yasuhara wanted to tease Bou-san, he just couldn't. He was feeling tired and he wanted to go to bed already. So he opted to close his eyes and stay quiet.

"Just go to bed already Yasuhara. I can see that you're tired." Ayako said, looking sternly at Yasuhara.

Yasuhara opened one eye to look at the miko and smirked. "You're a doctor alright."

Ayako's eyes flashed with anger. "What did you say?"

Lin, who just finished typing in his laptop, just ignored the commotion behind him and decided to retire for the night.

…

**So that's chapter 15 for you :D I don't know why but I liked typing this chapter, hahaha! **

**See you guys in the next chapter! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello again everyone! :] First of all, I'd like to extend my thanks to these amazing people:**

**crimsonplay****  
****Mystique. Angel. Of. Moon****  
****yukiiii-chan****  
****willoffire2014****  
****Damaged Forest Spirit****  
****tohru78****  
****SioPao-chan****  
****Celestial Star12****  
****PhoenixNimbus. 292****  
****ajamshamoodah****  
****xSapphirexRosesxFanx****  
****chibi konzen**

**Okay, so I signed up for an online class. Since the lecture's just starting, I'm still able to update on a regular basis. I really do hope that those professors won't give us a hard time. Programming isn't easy, I tell you. *sigh***

**Oh well, what the heck. Here's Chapter 16! :D**

…

Mai was feeling well-rested today. She was already awake but opted not to open her eyes yet. She sighed happily and buried her head more against the wonderfully scented pillow – which was quite odd because it perfectly cradled her head and it was –

Her eyes instantly snapped open when she felt her 'pillow' move slightly. She had the faintest idea of what's currently happening. Slowly, she lifted her left hand and moderately pressed her hand against her makeshift pillow – it was hard. If this type of situation happened when she was still 16 years old, she would've screamed at the top of her lungs. But right now, despite the embarrassment that she's feeling, she welcomed the warmth that _he_ is giving her. She snuggled closer, hoping to catch more of his body heat. When she felt his arms tighten around her bare waist, she –

At that moment, realization dawned on her. She instantly sat up and looked down on her body. The arm that used to hold her waist fell limply on her left side. She was wearing a robe and a different set of underwear that she was sure that wasn't hers. She looked at Naru who was at her right side. He was just right there, sleeping peacefully and thankfully fully-clothed.

Right now, she wasn't feeling sleepy anymore. She took the time to observe her surroundings. After everything that has happened, she was pretty sure that Naru told Rika that they had to move to another room for safety precautions. She noticed that they were sleeping on a pull-out bed. The ones occupying the top were Hikari and Kaori. On her left was a mini-kitchen with three cupboards on the wall, although there was no stove. But one could bring their own electric stove since there was an outlet at the side. Just right in front of the counters of the mini-kitchen was a round dining table that could only accommodate two people. There was also a medium-sized refrigerator just standing right beside the right-most counter of the mini-kitchen. On her right side was a rectangular window that ended midway of the cream-colored wall. And lastly, the bathroom was just a few steps away from the bed. Mai deduced that they were occupying the family suite.

Placing her gaze back at the window, she looked at the sky. They were painted a beautiful orange. Unconsciously, a soft smile adorned her features. Truly, the scene right in front of her was taking her problems away. It looked like it came from a painting.

Unbeknownst to her, cerulean eyes watched her every move. The smile that had graced her features after seeing the view outside the window had taken his breath away. During those times with her in SPR years ago, she had her quiet moments, seeming contemplative even. But he had never seen her smile like this before. She looked so serene and beautiful. Her chocolate eyes were glued on the view but he could see something else, like she was reminiscing. At first, he had wanted to tease her for touching his chest, but right now, he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Instead, what came out from his mouth was something Oliver Davis would never openly say to anyone: "You look beautiful Mai."

Mai snapped out of her reverie and looked at Naru. There he was, just simply lying down with his blue pyjamas, but he was looking like an absolute Adonis. Sure, even when he was still 17, he looked handsome. But right now, with a genuine smile adorning his face, he looked absolutely godly. _Maybe it's because he matured?_ Mai thought. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks but she still managed to smile at him; she mentally took a picture of his face before leaning down to give him a peck on the lips. "Thank you … and good morning." She lay back down again, snuggling close and placing a hand on his chest. "Did I wake you?" She spoke softly, not wanting to disrupt the sleep of the twins.

Naru shifted to fully face Mai. With his left arm under her neck and his right around her waist, he pulled her closer, inhaling her sweet and mild scent. In response, Mai wrapped her left arm around his waist, her head resting at the crook of his neck. "No. I woke up when I felt that someone was touching my chest."

She can absolutely hear the underlying tease in his sentence. She pinched his back and she heard him hiss slightly in pain. "Do you always ruin beautiful moments?" She replied, slightly exasperated.

He pulled away slightly, only to lean down again straight to her lips. "Good morning…" He whispered against her lips.

Mai smiled in response. As she was about to lean in for another kiss, a knock interrupted her actions. Both looked at the door with slight disdain. Mai sighed disappointedly when she felt Naru's warmth leave her.

Naru opened the door. It was Lin and Rika, and both were carrying luggages. Rika smiled brightly while Lin simply nodded. "Good morning! Is Mai awake already?" Rika piped happily.

Naru nodded and stepped aside.

"Good morning Lin-san, Rika." Mai got off from the pull-out bed and hugged Rika. Mai looked at Lin who offered her a smile.

Rika took hold of Mai's shoulders and grinned at her. "So," She drawled out. Mai can sense the teasing tone behind it. "Did you have a good sleep today? You do know that you still have a meeting to attend, right?"

Mai rolled her eyes at her secretary and decided to ignore her. "I had a dream."

This caught the attention of Naru and Lin who were sitting at the dining table. "Was it about the case?" Naru asked.

Rika, sensing that Mai won't give in, walked away with a huff and started rummaging through Mai's suitcase, looking for an appropriate suit for Mai to wear.

"Yes." She made her way to the mini-kitchen, opening the left most cupboard, revealing coffee cups. "Do they have coffee here?" She mumbled to herself, looking past through the cups.

"Let me make that for you." Rika said, taking the cup from her hands. "I brought your favourite, Italian Roast."

Mai smiled at her. "You're a blessing Rika."

"Tick-tock Mai-san." Rika replied, taking on a professional tone.

Mai instantly understood and looked at the two men sitting in front of her. "Let's get down to business then."

…

"I was planning on putting a children's park out here since the only entertainment for young children back at the hotel is the kiddie pool." Takahashi Hisa, the owner of Windsor Toya Resort and Spa, explained. The SPR Team, with the exception of Lin and Yasuhara who were staying at base, were taken to the park that Mai had dreamed the night before. Since Mai had a scheduled meeting, they called Takahashi-san to help them locate the park. Apparently, the park was a bit far from the building, and since there were quite a lot of trees surrounding the now-empty park, Takahashi ordered the construction workers to put a simple walkway so that people wouldn't get lost if in case they decide to venture the place. She also added a rope that was tied at the trunk of the trees, telling the people to not walk further beyond the rope.

Naru, Masako, John and Hisa were standing in the middle since Mai had described that she was standing at the middle of the park when she was watching the scene. "When you bought the place Takahashi-san," Naru started, looking at the grounds. "Was there a swing in this park?"

Hisa raised her eyebrows slightly. "No. Just a see-saw, different sizes of slides, monkey bars and that circle thing that makes children dizzy."

"Could it be that the person responsible for the deaths had it removed?" John speculated. "According to Mai-san's dream, the swing was something important."

"To Takashi, it is important." Masako added.

"Ano," Hisa hesitated at first, not really understanding what they're talking about. "Is there something going on in this place?"

Masako gave the owner a reassuring smile, trying to soothe her nervous nerves. "No. Nothing's here. Our friend had a dream about this place and she said that there used to be a swing here."

Hisa breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah. I see. Thank you."

"Have you asked anyone to dig in this place Takahashi-san?" Naru asked again.

Hisa shook her head. "I only asked the workers to remove the devices since they were so old and rusty. Ever since that, I didn't let anyone touch this place since I had no plans for it before."

Naru simply nodded in response, not even taking a look at the woman beside him. But he was pleased with the information. John, who had been looking at Hisa the entire time she was talking, decided to take the final things in his hands since Mai wasn't here. Naru will always be Naru. "Thank you so much for taking the time to bring us here, Takahashi-san." John whole-heartedly smiled at the old woman. "I hope we didn't interrupt you from something important."

Hisa smiled in return. "No, not at all. Before Shibuya-san called, I just finished my last task for this morning, and that was to make sure that the VIP's on the conference room would receive their morning snacks. Am I needed for anything else?"

John shook his head. "No. Thank you so much for this Takahashi-san. We'll contact you if we need anything else."

"Okay then." Hisa bowed at the young priest and silently left the park.

"Do you feel anything Hara-san?" Naru immediately asked.

Masako shook her head. "There are ghosts that are just simply passing by, that's all. No strong attachments to this place."

"Naru!" The group turned to their right to see the monk wiping his forehead. "Nothing on my side."

"Nothing over here too!" Ayako shouted from the left. While Naru was busy looking at the grounds and John talking to Bou-san, Masako was taking amusement from Ayako's dishevelled state who was grumbling about her red hair standing in all directions. Ayako, feeling that someone was staring at her, looked up and saw Masako smirking at her. Her brown eyes flashed with irritation. "Got something to say Masako?" She snapped.

"Nothing, Ayako-san." Masako looked away from the priestess but kept on smirking.

Bou-san took his handkerchief from the back pocket of his pants and wiped sweaty face. "So, what now Naru?"

Naru sighed, feeling a bit irritated at their current predicament. "We can't do anything as of the moment since Mai failed to give us a drawing. We can't just dig blindly." _She didn't even have to be that early, so why the rush?_

"Give the girl a break Naru." Ayako reprimanded. "That meeting she's attending _is_ important. It is imperative for them to be early." She slowly combed her hair with her fingers, working out the knots. "Besides, we can always wait for lunch time."

"We're wasting too much time on waiting."

Bou-san placed an arm around Ayako's waist, which startled her a bit. He leaned close on her ear. "Leave him be Ayako," He whispered. "He's just pissed that Mai's sitting with those perverted businessmen."

Masako and John suppressed their giggle while Naru was giving the couple the dirtiest look that he could muster.

"Back to base. NOW." He growled angrily. He saw the couple run for their lives while the other couple was just walking at their own pace.

With nothing else to do at the park, he followed behind John and Masako, trying to quell the irritation made by the stupid monk.

…

As soon as the base door opened, Hikari and Kaori jumped off from the couch. "Papa?" They called out.

"Wrong guess kids." Bou-san stepped in together with Ayako. He pouted at the twins. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

The twins hugged his legs and grinned happily at him. "Welcome back!" They greeted.

As much as Ayako wanted to slap the man, she couldn't do that in front of the twins. So she decided to ignore his childish antics and let him have his fun for a while. She sat on a couch where Yasuhara's face was buried in some folder…and he was giggling. "What's that?"

The mischievous young man instantly snapped the folder close and grinned at the priestess. "Nothing. Just some…old files."

_He's definitely hiding something._ Ayako knew that the moment Yasuhara started to give vague answers, he was planning something. Not only that, when he's planning something, it was always with the twins. With that thought in mind, she chose to keep her distance from the scheming young man, afraid that she'll get roped into whatever he's planning.

"Don't worry," Yasuhara spoke as if he read Ayako's mind. "Even if you knew about this, you won't get in trouble."

Ayako resisted a shudder that tried to make its way up to her spine. He can really be scary sometimes.

"Where are the others? I have some news for Naru." Rika piped in, turning herself around to look at the group. Again, she was sitting right beside Lin who was, as usual, typing in his laptop.

"What is it?" Rika slightly jumped in her seat, surprised to suddenly hear Naru inside base.

She looked at him with incredulity. "The door was open to begin with." Naru said, clearly understanding her unbelieving expression. "So? What was it that you wanted to tell me?" Masako and John slipped past behind him, taking a seat at one of the couches.

Before Rika could utter a single word, the twins lunged at their Father, hugging his legs. "Papa! Welcome back!"

Naru's stoic expression instantly softened after seeing his daughters. "Hello Hikari, Kaori." He patted their heads. "Papa will join you in a bit. Let me just talk to your Aunt Rika."

They nodded happily. "Hai!" They went straight to Claude who was standing behind the couch that the twins were previously sitting on. He was holding a few folders.

Rika stood up from her seat and closed her laptop. She straightened her suit and faced Naru who was behind Lin, telling him about their findings. "Well, I'll start with the good news." She saw Naru fix his gaze onto her. "I'm going to see Mai today. Apparently, during the meeting, she drew what she saw in her dream. So I'm going to fetch the paper." Naru just nodded, so Rika continued. "The bad news? She won't be joining us for lunch."

Naru's eyebrows raised a little. "Why?"

At that moment, Rika really wanted to grin evilly but suppressed herself. "Well, their meeting did get delayed for half a day. And the others really wanted to finish the meeting as soon as possible since they have other plans. So everyone decided to use the whole day today. They still have that social gathering tomorrow evening, so yeah, they have to catch up today."

Naru sighed, feeling slightly anxious. Mai was in danger, and at times like this, he needed to keep a constant eye on her. He doesn't know if the ghost will attack her while she's in a meeting or if she goes out of that conference room to go to the bathroom. He's gonna have to call Takahashi-san again to ask permission for access to the security cameras on that floor. "If you're going now, take Lin with you." He replied, slowly making his way towards his temporary desk that was placed in the middle of the room where his daughters were scribbling something on a blank sheet of paper.

Rika smiled brightly. She immediately took hold of Lin's elbow. "I was planning on doing that. Let's go!" She clumsily dragged the Chinese man out from the base.

"Now that's not something you see everyday." Ayako smirked, twirling her hair with her slender finger. "Lin Koujo, dragged by a petite girl named Sou Rika."

Everyone in the room either giggled or laughed, well, save Naru and Claude who were so engrossed into watching over the twins and Yasuhara who was snorting not because of Ayako, but again, because of the folder that he was holding.

…

11:30AM, an early lunch break for the CEO's. As much as Mai wanted to enjoy the sumptuous food in front of her since she wasn't able to eat breakfast, the onslaught of questions about her love life was pretty much ruining her mood.

"So, that hot guy the other day," Egami Ai, CEO of Ai Fashions, sidled up to her right, wanting to hear Mai's response. "Is he your new _beau_?"

Mai wanted to smack the upside of Ai's head. She knew that Ai prided herself with her French looks and because of that, a lot of people would be amazed to hear from her that she's purely Japanese. "Yes he is Ai-san." Mai replied with a polite smile, not wanting her irritation to show.

"How long have you guys been dating anyway?" Katsura Hanako, CEO of K-FameLine, joined in on their conversation since she was seating on Mai's left side. "We've never seen him before. And even if we haven't, the media should've been able to pick up. Besides, out of all the CEO's who are running a fashion company, you're the only one with a clean slate."

Mai looked at Hanako with disbelief in her eyes, her utensils hung in mid-air with her hands. "Clean slate? A lot of people criticized me for giving birth at such a young age."

Ai nodded. "Yes, they did. But don't forget that they have long forgotten that issue because they admired your working ethics." With her pampered hands, she took the table napkin at the side and elegantly wiped her mouth with it. "Imagine, in just less than 5 years, you immediately caught up in the business and fashion world."

"Taniyama-sama?"

Their conversation was interrupted by one of the staffs working at the hotel. Mai looked behind her and smiled. "Yes?"

"Your secretary, Sou-sama, is waiting for you outside."

Mai gave her thanks to the woman and excused herself from her company. As soon as she got out, her smile instantly dropped and was replaced with a scowl.

Rika can feel the waves of frustration emanating from her boss who was now standing in front of her with an evil look on her face. "Is…something wrong?" She asked.

Mai massaged her temples before settling a less angry face on Lin. She huffed angrily. "Hello, Lin-san. I'm sorry for…" Unable to find the right words, she waved it off, putting her right hand back to massaging the bridge of her nose.

Whatever it was, Lin accepted her apology. He knew that she didn't mean it. "I understand Mai. Meetings can be stressful."

Mai nodded and placed both her hands on her hips. She fixed her gaze on Rika. "Have you read the recent newspaper?"

Rika recognized that tone. "No Mai-san." She replied, intentionally putting formality between them since she knew that this was something serious.

Mai sighed heavily and slightly shook her head. "Go and find one. Then check for videos on the internet. After that, I want you to call the PR Head and arrange a meeting on Monday." Mai gave Rika a firm look. "First. Thing. In. The. Morning. You know what to do."

Rika nodded. "Noted, Mai-san."

Mai took a piece of paper from her blazer and gave it to Lin. Lin took it and unfolded the paper. Instead of a drawing, she used words to indicate where the old swing was and in which direction she was facing so they would know where to dig. "Thank you for this Mai."

She managed to give him a small smile. "I hope it's understandable. It's hard to draw especially when you're seated near the presenter."

Lin gave her a slight amused smile before pocketing it. Mai turned back to Rika who was now grinning. "How are the kids?"

"They're with Naru. I think they're playing crosswords."

Mai nodded. "Alright. I can't stay long. See you guys tonight." She waved goodbye and went back inside the conference room.

With a new assignment from her boss, she immediately turned around with determination written on her face. "Whatever that PR guy did, he's dead." Rika commented.

Lin simply followed Rika, wondering about what's on today's newspaper that had gotten Mai so riled up.

…

**Did you guys like this? :\ I hope you did! Well, reviews are appreciated :] Sorry if this chapter is a bit boring. This chapter would be too long if I decided to continue since it consists of … okay, so no spoilers, haha. Don't worry, I hope ya'll be patient enough to wait for the next chapter. It'll be fun! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello there! Here's another update! :D At least I managed to update without a week passing by, teehee. **

**I wanna give my thanks to these awesome people. I am very grateful :]**

**chibi konzen  
****tohru78****  
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****crimsonplay****  
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**I hope that ya'll enjoy this chapter too :]**

**So, here's Chapter Seventeen! :D**

…

Bou-san and Lin were now staring at the hole that they created at the park behind the hotel. "It seems we hit the jackpot Naru-chan." Bou-san said, wiping his forehead using Ayako's handkerchief in which she gave earlier while they were digging.

It was already past lunch time and the sun was shining brightly above them. Ayako was fanning herself while deliberately ignoring the medium beside her who had conveniently brought a fan. She was beyond irritated right now. First, her favourite purple top was ruined because of her search for clues that morning. Then during lunch time, her idiot-of-a-husband accidentally elbowed his own juice towards her. He did try to save it, but it was too late. It was a good thing that the SPR team were the only ones eating at the restaurant, she didn't want to waltz around with a stained white pants. And now, with the sun beating down on them, she was sure that she'd die from heat stroke. "Finally!" She huffed. "Now, let's get going."

"Hara-san." Naru's voice floated. He was holding a small wooden box. Its hinges were broken and had obviously corroded in time. There were no decorations or special carvings on the box. "Do you feel anything from this box?" Naru heard Ayako groan in frustration but he just ignored her.

Masako elegantly closed her fan and took a few steps forward, her eyes fixated on the box in Naru's hand. After a few seconds, she shook her head. "No. Nothing."

Naru nodded and looked at his other assistant. "Lin?"

He struck the shovel on the ground and looked straight at Naru. "My shiki don't sense anything. It's just a box."

With that, Naru removed the cover. Inside the box was a broken locket. There was no picture in it, but there was a large faded stain covering both lower half of the jewelry. He instantly knew what the stain was.

"Ano, Naru-san…" Because of his deep thinking, he hadn't sensed that John was now standing right beside him, looking at the inside of the box. His insides jumped but he remained stoic-faced as usual. "That's blood, isn't it?" The ex-priest asked meekly.

He nodded and placed back the rotten cover. "Do you think Takashi-san owns the locket?" John asked again. "Mai-san did see him dig in the same place."

"He could be." Naru sighed heavily, feeling the heat seep into his clothes. "Let's go back to base. We can discuss things over there."

Ayako walked away first, wanting to get inside as fast as she could, followed by John who was now holding Masako's fan and keeping her cool, and lastly Naru, Lin and Bou-san.

…

Rika's mobile phone rang, but Hikari took the gadget and answered it without looking at the screen. She already knew who the caller was. "Claude? It's Hikari." Her voice was tinged with a bit of anxiousness but there was an edge of excitement to it. "Can you see them?"

"_They're on their way back Hikari-sama._"

Hikari nodded. "Thank you Claude. Make sure that they don't see you when you come back here, okay?"

"_Yes, Hikari-sama._"

"Okay. Bye bye!" With that, she closed Rika's phone and stared at the group that was at the lounging area.

"Is Papa coming back already?" Kaori asked. She was holding a folder that had the stamp 'CONFIDENTIAL!' on its front.

Hikari sat beside her sister and helped her fix the other folders. "Yeah. We better hurry." The twins silently worked on keeping the folders inside a brown envelope. Meanwhile, Yasuhara and Rika were sitting on the couch opposite of the twins…and both were grinning evilly.

"You are a brilliant man Yasuhara." Rika commented. Her fingers were working fast on her laptop. But she wasn't doing anything work-related.

Yasuhara, feeling almighty and smug, simply grinned and fixed his glasses.

…

"Hara-san, I want you to prepare for another séance tonight." Naru announced. The SPR team were seated on the lounging area except for Rika and Lin who were on the other side of the room, working away on their laptop.

"Again?" Bou-san sighed and leaned at the back of the couch. "We're not anywhere near solving the case…" The ex-monk mumbled.

"That's because we don't have the all of the pieces of this puzzle yet." Naru sighed and flipped open his black notebook full of notes. "The history of the Fukui family is clean. Even before the birth of Shouta and Takashi, there were no disputes within the family."

"So Boss," Yasuhara piped in, scribbling something in the folder that he was holding. Ayako noticed that it was the one that he was holding earlier this morning. "Are you trying to say that we're gonna have to let everything ride it out?"

Naru nodded, a slightly sullen expression on his handsome features. "Unfortunately, we have to. We're gonna have to utilize the things and people that we have right now."

Bou-san groaned. "This'll be a long case…"

"It will be if you keep on lazing around." Naru glared at the monk. "Hara-san, Matsuzaki-san, go and do another walkthrough. Hara-san, I want you to specifically look for the woman that possessed Mai." Both girls nodded and silently walked out of the base. "John, Bou-san, the tapes and temperatures. Also, I want you to interview these people again." He gave a piece of paper to John. "Ask them if they've experienced another paranormal incident."

"Copy Boss." With that, they left the base with Bou-san's back slouched from exhaustion and John trying his best to cheer the monk.

"How about me Boss?" Yasuhara asked, a silly grin on his face.

"I want you to check on the background of the victims." He pulled another piece of paper from his notebook and gave it to Yasuhara. "I want you to see if these people had relationships."

Yasuhara looked at Naru with skepticism in his eyes. "You're onto something Boss, aren't you?"

Naru simply ignored him, telling him that he won't say anything unless he does his work. Yasuhara went straight to his laptop and started typing away.

While everyone in base was busy with work, well, the twins were also doing their own secret work in supposed-to-be-Naru's desk. They were looking at the newly-decorated SPR office. Before they left for Sapporo, the twins gave the interior designer the exact layout of each room and gave her strict instructions to not move any furniture without their consent.

Kaori leaned closer to her older twin. They were currently looking at Lin's new office. "The chandelier…doesn't it look too…_girly_?" She whispered softly.

Hikari inwardly agreed with her twin. "It does." She whispered back. "You think we should replace it with the other one?"

"Eh? The re –"

"What are you two discussing over there?"

The twins stiffened at the sound of their Father's voice. They may have gone 6 years without him but despite that, they could easily detect the curiosity and somewhat commanding tone. What they're doing right now is _downright top secret_! Yes, their Father does know that they're planning on re-decorating his office, but he had no idea on when. They will _absolutely_ and _utterly_ do anything just to keep this project a secret!

Kaori broke the suffering silence by chuckling evilly like those evil women do in movies. "HOHOHOHOHO!" She chuckled in an ear-cracking pitch. "What are you saying Papa? We're just doing our homework!" Her voice cracked, but she didn't care. They needed to stop their Father from asking any more questions. "Ne, Hikari?" Kaori nudged her twin at her rib. Hikari slightly winced but ignored it.

Hikari pulled on her arrogant face and huffed. "Huh. Why of course." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "It would be irresponsible for us to not make our homework. It would just upset Maman."

Another strained silence entered the base room. Every single person in the room was looking at the twins, except for Claude who was still looking at the picture.

Naru snapped his notebook shut and smiled rather sweetly at his daughters. "I see. That's good then."

The twins grinned at their Father awkwardly. But in their minds, they were already screaming. _THAT SMILE! HE KNOWS_!

Naru opened his notebook while everyone continued with their work. There was only one word in their minds though: HORRIBLE.

Naru inwardly smirked. It seems that his daughters got Mai's horrible ways of lying.

…

Bou-san and John were currently standing at the entrance of the kitchen. They decided to talk to Sato Akira, the head chef, since they knew that he will be there. But looking at the state of the kitchen, it was physically impossible for them to get near their target. The kitchen was crowded. They could hear some people screaming different ingredients. At the center, they could see different chefs slicing ingredients in haste.

John looked at his watch. "A rush hour at 2:30PM?"

"But we just passed by the restaurant. There was only one family over there." Bou-san scratched the back of his head and sighed. "Guess we'll just have to drop by later."

"Ano, you guys are from that ghost hunting company, right?"

Both men turned around to see a pink-haired woman with brown eyes. She was wearing an all-white uniform.

A name instantly appeared in John's head. "You're Akiyama Nanami-san, right?" John asked politely with a smile.

_Ah. The flirting masseuse._ Bou-san thought. He saw her nod her head quite eagerly, her pink hair swaying a little. "Yes! Does Shibuya-san need anything?" She asked in that sickly sweet voice that made Bou-san cringe inwardly. _Talk about desperate…_

"Ah, no…" John smiled a bit sheepishly. Both men saw Nanami's glowing face fall into a neutral one. They sweat dropped. _Too obvious…_ They both thought. "Actually," John continued. "Shibuya-san asked us to interview again those people who experienced the paranormal incidents here. We were supposed to ask Sato-san first but he seems too busy."

Nanami's face glowed again. "Really? What time am I supposed to go to your room then?"

Bou-san cleared his throat and smiled at Nanami. "Shibuya-san has other work to do. That's why he sent us." Before Nanami could reply, he continued. "Since you're here, why don't we just ask you first? Just two or three questions; it won't take long."

Nanami's ecstatic face fell again. "Ask away."

Bou-san grinned. "Okay. Well, have you experienced anything paranormal recently?"

Both men saw something in Nanami's eyes, like somewhat akin to realization. "Now that I think about it," Nanami's expression turned pensive. "Ever since you guys came in here, nothing has happened. Like, everything's peaceful, back to normal."

This silenced both men, realization also dawning in their eyes. "Really?" Bou-san asked, a bit disbelieving. "How about the other hotel staff in here? They haven't experienced anything?"

"No." Nanami blinked a few times before looking back at them. "Is the ghost haunting this place gone already?"

John shook his head. "No. That's why we're doing this follow-up interview, to see if there have been any incidents."

"We haven't had much progress, you see." Bou-san explained. "The history of this place before it became a hotel was pretty much clean. So, it's hard to identify what or who the catalyst is."

"I see." Nanami smiled at them. "Well, if I hear or see anything weird, I'll definitely drop by and tell Shibuya-san!"

Ignoring Nanami's very obvious hint, they bid her goodbye and once again faced the kitchens. Akira was talking to one of his colleagues. Both men stepped inside. "Sato-san?" Bou-san called out.

Akira looked their way and instantly recognized them. He excused himself from his colleague and greeted them. "Good afternoon gentlemen. Is there anything I can do for you?"

So they proceeded with the questions and surprisingly, his answers were a match to Nanami's. Nothing has happened ever since they entered the hotel. They searched for the other witnesses, and answered the same thing. Clearly, the activities had stopped.

They were on their way back to base. Scouring the large hotel for the witnesses wasn't an easy feat which left them exhausted. "I think I know why everything seems to be normal again…" John spoke.

"Yeah." Bou-san answered. "Naru-bou won't be pleased to hear this."

…

Ayako and Masako timidly stepped inside the kitchen, aware of the activity that's going on. As soon as they got in, Akira immediately recognized the two. "Excuse me? You guys are from that ghost hunting company?"

Both nodded. "If it's okay with you, uhh…" Ayako's cheeks flamed, feeling embarrassed in forgetting someone's name.

Akira smiled, completely knowing her problem. "Sato Akira."

"Ah! Sato-san, I'm sorry." Ayako apologized. "If it's okay with you Sato-san, we'll want to take a look around here."

The head chef was a bit surprised at the request but immediately consented, saying that he'll guide them. "So, is something going on?" He asked meekly.

Ayako shook her head. "Nothing really. Our boss just asked us to do something."

Deciding not to question anymore since he really had no idea about the processes of ghost hunting, he led them to where the storage rooms were. Before Akira could say anything about the doors, he heard one of the women call out to him. "Yes?"

Masako pointed at the center door. "What's in that room?"

"Ah. That's where we place fresh vegetables."

"Please, open that door. There's something in there."

Akira stiffened. "What do you mean by –"

Masako glared at the man. "Hurry."

Not wanting to anger the woman, he opened the second storage door with clammy and shaky hands. As soon as he opened the door, his eyes widened. The box that was full of eggplants were now all on the floor. But what scared him was that one of the eggplants was rolling back and forth, like someone was playing with it. He immediately felt someone grab his elbow and pull him out of the room. He looked beside him and saw the red-haired woman. "Don't scream." She hissed. Akira gulped heavily and nodded shakily.

Masako stepped inside the storage room. It was the same ghost that she had encountered back at the second floor corridor. Right now, Masako can clearly see the ghost. It was a woman with a waist-long blonde hair, wearing a yellow sundress. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor, toying with the eggplant, rolling it back and forth. Roughly ten seconds had passed when the woman turned around and faced Masako. The medium immediately recognized the woman despite the sickening slashes of knife wounds on her face and neck; it was Mori Emi. Despite the bile rising in Masako's throat, she bravely kept it down and looked straight at Emi's blank eyes. "Mori-san?" Masako asked as timid as she could get, not wanting to scare her. Unbeknownst to the medium, the door had silently shut itself, completely locking the two away from the others.

"I was too young to remember…" Emi croaked out, blood streaming down her neck, staining her sundress. "Just…kids…"

"What was it that you didn't remember, Mori-san?" Masako boldly took one step forward. Waves of regret, confusion, and utter sadness hit her, but she kept her feet on the ground.

Suddenly, a gush of wind entered the room, knocking all the boxes and carts everywhere. Masako took shelter at the corner of the room beside the door and sat there. She can hear the doorknob rattling, probably Ayako trying to get the door open. She looked at Emi. Emi's mouth was wide open, but there were no sounds coming from her; a silent scream. Blood was pouring out from her ears, nose, mouth, eyes, and knife wounds; she was in pain. Masako wanted to comfort the bloodied and tortured woman, so she shouted above all the racket. "Mori-san! I can help you!"

It was clear to Masako that her words died on Emi's ears. Emi was clutching her hair too hard that Masako could see strips of her hair being pulled out. Emi, in Masako's eyes, was deteriorating physically…and emotionally. By this time, the door suddenly slammed open and at the same time Emi disappeared, leaving her hair and blood on the floor.

Masako looked up and saw Ayako staring at her with panic in her eyes. She immediately knew that Ayako was the one that drove Emi away.

"Are you okay?!" Ayako instantly went straight to Masako, her eyes flitting to Masako's purple ones to her exposed flesh in a rapid motion. "What happened?"

Masako could hear the flurry of activity outside the storage room. Since the door was wide open, every chef in the kitchen could see what's inside. "It was Mori Emi." She looked at her own hands and could see that she was trembling slightly. Masako's mind was full of Emi's struggle that she had failed to feel her own emotions.

Ayako tugged Masako's arm. "C'mon. Let's go back and tell the others. I need to get you checked properly." Ayako said in a stern voice, clearly concerned for the medium.

Masako nodded and shakily stood up. Luckily, Ayako was there to support so she was able to stand. Ayako's left arm was wrapped around Masako's shoulders, holding her up. Slowly, they left the storage room. Ayako looked at Akira who was still gaping at the blood on the floor. "We're so sorry Sato-san." Ayako started. Akira jumped and stared at the miko with fear in his eyes. Without waiting for his reply, Ayako left with a slightly shaken Masako.

…

Everyone was already at base. Bou-san was snoozing on the couch, John was reading a magazine that Claude had politely provided and the twins were playing Sims. The rest are still doing the same thing. Yasuhara, who's organizing papers in a folder, looked at his watch. "It's almost 5PM, and still no sign of the girls?"

John, who was just actually pretending to read to distract himself, stood up and looked at Naru. "Maybe I should go and look for them, Naru-san." John said. "I'm starting to get worried."

Before Naru could answer, the door opened, revealing a slightly pale Masako and a dishevelled Ayako. John instantly took hold of Masako's hands, in which she squeezed in response. "What happened?" John asked in a tense voice. He wrapped his right arm around Masako's waist to help her.

"I don't know." Ayako replied. They slowly deposited Masako on the couch who was still a bit pale. She kneeled in front of her and started checking Masako's face and neck. "As soon as she stepped in, I don't know what else had happened. I had to distract the others –"

"The others?" Naru piped in, interrupting Ayako.

Ayako nodded. "We were at the kitchens, specifically inside the storage room where they store the vegetables. So when Sato-san said that we were the ones that Takahashi-san hired, they started crowding near the storage room. And I didn't want anyone to distract Masako from communicating the spirit that was inside that room, so I had to make them step away in case something goes wrong." Ayako looked straight into Masako's purple eyes. "Are you hurting anywhere?" She asked in that motherly tone of hers.

Masako shook her head. "I just feel a bit dizzy, that's all."

Ayako nodded. "Okay. If you feel anything, tell me right away, alright?" When she saw Masako nod, she patted her shoulder and went straight to her husband who was still sleeping soundly. She pinched his shoulder which made the monk jump in his seat and glare at the person who woke him up quite harshly. Before her husband could verbally abuse her, she sat right beside him and pointed at Masako. Seeing her pale and a somewhat frightened expression on her face made Bou-san forget his irritation and focus on Masako's story.

"Are you ready to tell us Hara-san?" Naru asked, turning a page on his notebook and readying his pen. John was right beside Masako, offering her a comforting hand. Lin was seated across the medium with Rika by his side and a laptop on his lap. The twins were still at Naru's desk but their eyes were fixated on their aunt.

Masako nodded and steadied her emotions first before starting. "It was Mori-san. She said something about not remembering anything because they were just kids."

"…A promise." Naru was tapping his pen against a page of his notebook. "She forgot a promise that they made when they were kids."

Bou-san looked confused for a moment. "What promise?"

"Are you crazy?" Ayako looked at her husband with incredulity. "You don't remember? That psycho-killer ghost said it himself."

Bou-san blinked. "He did? I was too focused on Masako raging around rather than listening to what he was saying."

"Did she say anything else, Hara-san?" Naru continued, purposely ignoring the couple.

Masako shook her head. "She was very confused and sad. She's also regretting that she forgot something." She fixed her part of her hair behind her ear and looked at Naru. "I don't know if this is anything significant but when I came in, eggplants were all over the place. She was playing with it."

Everybody in the room knew that Masako was serious, that she wasn't implying anything…erotic. Naru, Lin and Claude had kept a straight face, Yasuhara and Bou-san covered their mouths with their fists to hide their grins while Rika, Ayako and John were blushing like mad. Masako hid her face with her handkerchief, feeling quite ashamed of the words that she used.

"Sato-san did say that there were eggplants on the night when he entered the first storage room." Lin stated, trying to get back to business and also fully aware of two little kids listening in.

"Maybe she just likes eggplants, y'know." Yasuhara said, trying to tone down his teasing tone. "Or maybe –"

"All I can say for sure is that," Masako interrupted, giving evil glares at the spectacled man. "Mori-san is in deep sorrow." Truthfully, she didn't have to say that. It was all just for the sake of Hikari and Kaori who were listening to them. She loves the twins, but with their intelligence stemming from the genius Oliver Davis, they wouldn't know what might get inside their head. Plus, Mai will surely kill them all for corrupting the twins' minds.

Naru, who was silently pleased of Masako's consideration, closed his notebook. "Are you still up for a séance tonight Hara-san?"

"Yes. I'll just need to rest for now."

Naru nodded and looked at his team. "You can all go to dinner at your own time. Just make sure to be back here at 10PM. Am I understood?"

With a simultaneous nods and salutes, the team parted with different tasks in mind.

…

Mai sat down with an accomplished grin on her face. Her presentation went smooth for almost an hour. She was able to speak without the help of note cards. A lot of people praised her, saying that she had memorized her presentation by heart. Of course, she accepted their compliments politely. She looked at her watch, it read 7:49PM. Despite feeling triumphant, her stomach was screaming for food. Talking and standing and walking for almost an hour was a bit tiring. _And my slot just had to fall on dinner time…_

She saw Hideki Atsushi, also a big-shot CEO in the fashion industry, stood up and faced the audience. He was known for his handsome looks despite being 56 years old. "Well, since it's almost 8PM, I think that we should all get our butts out of this conference room and have our dinner at the restaurant." He grinned. "I'm pretty sure ya'll want a different scenery."

Mai sighed in relief and stood up, slightly stretching her aching legs and back. "After this, I'm definitely getting a massage…" She mumbled, kneading the back of her neck. She can hear the scrape of wheeled chairs being pushed and footsteps going further away.

"I'm with you on that one." Ai piped in, tidying her business suit. "I feel old when I sit for too long."

Hanako lazily placed an arm around Mai's shoulders. "Let's go already. I'm dying for an exercise."

The trio joined the others, casually making conversation on their trip to the hotel restaurant.

…

Somehow, the SPR team had unexpectedly gathered at the hotel restaurant at 8:15PM. They were all seated in a long table, enough to accommodate all of them. Naru sat at the head of the table with the persistence of Hikari and Kaori who were seated on his left side followed by Claude, Rika and Lin. On Naru's right were Bou-san, Ayako, John and Masako.

A waiter appeared with a pen and notepad on his hand, obviously smiling forcibly to look pleasant towards the customers. "Are you ready to order?"

"Hai!" Hikari and Kaori exclaimed happily. They opened their menus and started pointing at random names. Claude, noticing that they were ordering too many, interfered. "Hikari-sama, Kaori-sama, you're ordering too much. It's already night time." He said in his usual neutral tone. "Pick two entrees and one dessert for the both of you to share."

The twins obeyed without any qualms. The rest then put in their orders. The waiter bowed and told them that their food will probably arrive between 15-20 minutes. He then left hastily to give the order slip to the chefs.

Instantly, Ayako and Bou-san were engaged in a verbal fight. Naru listened to his daughters talking about how boring history class was. John and Masako were in a casual conversation. But Claude and Rika were stiff in their seats, and Lin had noticed this. "Rika, is something wrong?" He asked softly, not wanting to alert the others.

"Reporters. 2 o'clock." She replied quietly. "Don't be too obvious." She leaned against her seat and casually started a conversation with Claude, smiling, appearing nonchalant.

Without even moving his head, at the corner of his eye, he can see two men seating in a round table. He was pretty sure that they wouldn't be able to see him since their backs were facing them. "What are they doing here?" He asked again.

"Mai had managed to top the business headlines in the newspapers today." She replied with a smile on her face. "And right now, those reporters are on undercover."

Even without Rika saying it out loud, Lin immediately understood what those men are doing. He knew how stressful reporters can be. During his times with Noll in England, the incessant calls of different reporters irked him to no end. "What's the issue?"

Rika pulled out her PDA from her jacket pocket. He saw her open a web browser and type something in the search engine. After a few seconds, she held out her PDA for him to see. He took it and read the insanely large and bold headline of the article.

"_**TRUTH OR LIE? Taniyama Mai, CEO and famous fashion model, finally off the dating market?"**_

_This is so petty._ He mused. So what if Mai started dating? It's not like they could do anything about it. She is a very eligible bachelorette anyway, so what –

Lin's trail of thought halted. _Mai's love life…_ He looked at Naru who was engrossed in a conversation with his daughters.

Paparazzi's and reporters.

Lin's heart literally dropped.

_This is not good._

…

**Well? Well? Well? Did you guys like it? Hmm? HMMMMMM? Hahahaha. Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoyed this. I did try my best in making the storage scene a bit scary. Oh well, 'till next time! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

**HELLO! :D I know, I've been updating quite faster this time. I'm just lucky that my online classes don't take up too much of my time…for now anyway. So I hope ya'll are happy out there :D**

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…

Naru tucked his children into the king-sized bed, kissing both their foreheads lightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He muttered. "Claude and Matsuzaki-san will be here with you, so don't worry."

Too sleepy to utter a single word, they simultaneously nodded and finally closed their half-lidded eyes. He stood up from the edge of the bed slowly, making sure not to wake the fast-asleep twins. He looked at Ayako and Claude who were both standing near the round dining table. "Are the charms done?" He asked softly.

Ayako pointed at two papers that were taped onto the door. "The strongest charm, just for the kids." She smiled softly. "I'm pretty sure that Mai would throw a fit if they're left unprotected. We would _never_ hear the end of it."

Naru smirked at the thought. It was more like _he_ would never hear the end of Mai's rage. "Thank you, Matsuzaki-san. I'll be going then."

Ayako waved lazily. "Good luck."

Claude bowed. "Take care, Young Master."

Naru simply replied with a nod before leaving the room as silent as he could. Ayako looked at Mai's loyal butler with an amused look on her face. "You address him as if he is already Mai's husband."

"I'm pretty sure that they'll tie the knot soon, Matsuzaki-sama." Claude answered, a small smile adorning his handsome features. "They may not show it too often but they're pretty much in love with each other."

"You know Claude," Ayako pulled a chair from the small dining table and sat on it. She placed her left elbow on top of the table and propped her chin on her hand. "I never really got the story of how you got to work for Mai." She shifted her upper body to face Claude's quite tense posture. "Care to share?"

"That's a story for a more private and appropriate time, Matsuzaki-sama." He bowed in apology. "I'm sorry. I intend to carry out Young Master's order to the fullest."

The priestess chuckled softly before turning her head to the sleeping twins at the bed. "So loyal Claude."

Claude remained silent after that.

…

Masako had first suggested that they do the séance at the second floor corridor since that was the place where she first met Mori Emi, but with the twins' room nearby and the possibility that Mai might arrive while they're in the middle of the séance, Naru refused. Instead, they opted to use the third floor corridor since it was also off-limits to everyone except for them. Masako and Naru were already sitting on the carpeted floor with a single lit candle in between them. Bou-san, John and Lin were standing at the sides, just a few steps away from Masako and Naru. Yasuhara and Rika temporarily took over Lin's task in watching over the monitors, so both are currently at base, patiently waiting for the séance to start.

Masako took deep breaths, concentrating at the important task at hand. She relaxed herself before starting her chant. "Our beloved Mori Emi, we bring you gifts from life into death. Commune with us Mori Emi, and move among us." Roughly 10 seconds had passed, the little flame that sat between Masako and Naru flickered. Everyone, including those in the base room, waited on tenterhooks for Mori Emi.

Masako clutched her hands against her chest, feeling the air turn cold. She looked back at the little flame…and could see that the smoke coming from the candle was forming into _something_. "It's her…" The medium whispered.

Naru's gaze was fixed on the smoke that was now beginning to form into what resembled a human body. Her upper body was starting to form, but her lower body remained amorphous. She was like that genie from Aladdin, except that she wasn't blue and didn't exude happiness.

"Mori-san?" Naru started off.

He saw Emi clutch her head and her face was distorted in pain; it was like she was having a severe migraine.

"I'm truly sorry…" She mumbled. "I was too young…"

"Can you tell us what happened, Mori-san?" Masako asked in her most cautious voice. "We can help you."

By now, they can hear Emi sobbing, her hands still on her head. "I was just a kid!" She exclaimed, looking at Masako with guilt-stricken eyes. "All I ever knew was playing and joking around!"

"What did he say to you Mori-san?" Naru asked in a straight voice. He saw Emi whip her head around to look at him. He can feel her hesitate. "If you just tell us, we will help you." He prompted a little.

They watched her cloudy form relax, her hands releasing her hair and fall to her sides. "Forever…" She mumbled. "He wanted me to stay with him…forever…" Even if it was unseen on her cloudy face, droplets of water were falling on the ground; she was crying. "I didn't know that he was serious…" She suddenly laughed, sounding sardonic; her vague form shaking. "I was naïve. How was I supposed to know that at the age of 8, he already knows how men and women get together forever?"

"He proposed to you." Naru said in a straight but knowing voice. "He asked you when you were playing at the swings." He saw Emi nod slowly.

"I honestly thought nothing of it. I migrated, then came back here. He remembered, I didn't. I really didn't mean to."

Everyone can hear the sorrow in her voice. She was truly innocent. But in the end, she became the victim of Takashi's horrendous rampage.

"Mori-san." Naru called out again. "When you were kids, how was the relationship between Shouta-san and Takashi-san?"

In a blink of an eye, Emi's vague form suddenly dispersed. Naru looked at Masako, who only pointed behind him. He turned around and saw Emi sitting on the carpeted floor with her arms wrapped around her legs. Her bloodied blonde hair was covering her face, but they could see blood trickling down her body, staining her yellow sundress. Naru surmised that this was what she wore when Takashi murdered her. There were long cuts on every joint on her body that Naru was pretty sure that if he'd look close enough, he can see her bones. Her body was oozing of blood; she was a bloody mess, _literally_ a bloody mess.

"Just like how siblings should act." This time, her voice was a bit strained, and it was probably from the wound that she had on her neck. "They fight over the silliest of things, then at the end of the day, they'd get scolded by Naoki-san then be friends again. They do have secrets but it was nothing that they couldn't handle." She remained still even after saying all of those.

"What happened when you came back?" He added.

He saw Emi's head jerk slightly, like she knew something but couldn't really say why. "I…don't know what happened. I can feel it. Everyone can feel it. Their…hostility…towards each other…" Her right arm limply fell, splashing the blood underneath her. Slowly, her index finger rose and she started drawing circles on the carpeted floor. "I asked Naoki-san, but she didn't know. I asked Ryouta-san, he had no idea either."

"Have you asked either of them?" Naru continued, wanting to milk everything out of the current situation since the spirit seemed more than willing to help.

They saw her stop her circular movements, but didn't do anything else. "They would say…that I was…imagining things…"

"Mori-san, does Takashi-san own a locket?"

Emi nodded slowly. "It was a gift…from their mother." She resumed drawing circles with her index finger. "Takashi got a locket, Shouta got a bracelet. Both jewelries could hold small pictures."

Naru wanted to ask if she had any idea about the blood inside Takashi's locket, but when he saw Emi abruptly lift her head from the confines of her legs, he stopped. "Mori-san?" He can now see how tortured her face was.

"The girl…" She croaked out, her voice sounding frightened. "HE'S COMING!" She shrieked…then she vanished, again, leaving nothing but her blood.

Naru's entire body went cold and unmoving. _Mai…_

Then suddenly, an ear-piercing scream floated through the third floor.

…

It was almost 10:30PM when Mai finally left the conference room. She was beyond exhausted and she reminded herself to tell Rika to make an appointment for any available masseuse tomorrow. She didn't want to attend the party looking like a zombie.

The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor. Mai said her goodbyes to her fellow CEO's who had somehow gathered at that floor, and she had no idea why. When the elevator doors closed, she was all alone…and a sudden chill ran up her spine. Mai closed her eyes and started breathing deeply, trying to compose herself. She looked at the top right that showed which floor she was in; eleventh floor. Earlier this afternoon, she got a message from Rika that the others were gonna do another séance and that Masako had an encounter with Mori Emi. Even though Masako came out unharmed, Rika said that the girl seemed a bit shaken up.

Mai looked up again, she was already at the fifth floor; she was close. She noticed that the closer she got to her destination, the foreboding feeling that she had ever since she was left alone in the elevator, increased gradually. She knew that ghosts tend to gravitate towards her, may they be benign or bloodthirsty. She didn't know why, but they just did.

She finally heard the elevator bell ring, signalling the passenger that they had arrived at their desired floor. Mai cautiously stepped out of the elevator, looking at every possible corner that the ghost might appear. She can see cameras stationed on different parts of the corridor, and she was positive that whoever was left at base could see her. Slowly, she started walking, mentally preparing herself for the Nine Cuts that Ayako taught her years ago. She looked ahead and could see that the base room was just three doors away. With a final resolve, she sprinted her way straight to the base room. She can hear the noise of her heels despite the carpeted floor. Just as she was about to reach the doorknob, she felt a cold hand push from her back. The push wasn't strong, but for some reason, she found herself shouting and flying for a moment before her body bounced and rolled away from her only salvation.

She lay face-flat on the floor. Black spots covered her vision. She can hear screams coming from some door. She was on the brink of losing her consciousness, but that disappeared when she felt that same cold hand take hold of her neck and lift her up abruptly in mid-air, losing her breath on the process.

"MAI!"

It was Ayako. She can hear her adoptive mother chant the Nine Cuts, but it was fruitless. She struggled to take the clammy hand off her neck, but her hands met air.

"YOU!" She heard the ghost scream. "DIE!" She felt the hand tighten around her neck and…she was thrown straight to a wall. And that was the last straw. The last thing she heard was the sickening crunch of her head and Naru's voice.

…

Takashi was there, holding a struggling Mai with a wicked grin on his face. Just before he heard Lin whistle to command his shiki to attack the ghost, everything started to go in slow motion. He saw the ghost flung Mai straight to a wall. He saw her body slowly fall towards the floor…

"NARU!"

Finally, he snapped out of it. He ran. He pushed himself to the limit. At the corner of his eye, he could see Takashi's spirit dissipate, but he ignored that. With one final push of his leg, he caught Mai's falling form. Both his forearms brushed hard against the carpeted floor and he could feel it stinging, but again, he ignored it.

He was panting heavily. He knew that the ghost was already gone. He can hear the muffled screams of his daughters on their room. Naru cradled her head in his lap and slightly shook her. "Mai?" His voice a bit hoarse, definitely a result from his running.

"Naru, bring her to her room, quickly." Ayako commanded.

Naru nodded and easily hefted Mai into his arms. Bou-san and Lin went ahead of them. As soon as they opened the door, Hikari and Kaori's cries became clearer. Once he got inside the room, he gently placed Mai onto the pull-out bed.

"Go and deal with the kids Naru." Ayako said. "They need you."

He turned around and saw Hikari and Kaori clinging onto Claude's pants. "Hikari. Kaori." He called out. In an instant, the twins slammed into his legs, sobbing even more. He bent down and hugged his daughters, rubbing their backs. "It's okay. Your mother's gonna be okay…" He whispered as soft as he could, trying to soothe their uneasy minds.

"Dream…" Kaori mumbled, wiping her tears on her father's clothes. Her little hands were clutching the fabric of his shirt.

"Uncle Gene – Maman – danger – " Hikari was having a hard time speaking properly. She was starting to develop small hiccups and Naru tried to make her stop so that she could breathe properly.

He didn't need a complete sentence to understand what they meant. Clearly, Gene had warned his daughters. He patted their heads softly. "C'mon. Let's get you to bed."

"But Maman!" They protested, desperation written in their eyes.

"She's okay." Ayako piped in. "Obviously, some parts of her neck will discolour by tomorrow. There's a lump at the back of her head. It's not that big but I suggest that she go to a nearby hospital tomorrow just to make sure."

"Maman won't stay long in the hospital, right?" Hikari took a little step forward, still clutching Naru's shirt. "Maman will be okay, right?" To everyone, it sounded like she was trying to convince herself rather than asking. It was obvious that she was terrified.

Ayako simply smiled at the twins. She knew how they felt. It was always like this when she dealt with patients. "She _is_ okay."

A toothy grin broke out from their faces, instantly wiping out the dreadful atmosphere inside the room. Their happy faces were so contagious that even the ever-stoic Claude was smiling behind the group.

Rika and Yasuhara came in two minutes after the group. With all the tension hanging in the air, they decided to keep quiet and stay with Claude. During the entire ordeal with the twins, it was apparent that no one had noticed them yet.

"Uhm, excuse me," Yasuhara's voice floated. Everyone turned around to look at him. While Rika was feeling a bit uncomfortable with the attention, Yasuhara was unperturbed. "I really do hate to break the happy bubble, but I need you to see something." He deadpanned, his gaze fixed on Naru.

Naru looked at his older assistant. "Lin, go. Report the findings to me immediately." He saw Lin nod and left the room. The others followed, with the exception of Claude, silently leaving the room. As much as he wanted to see what Yasuhara had meant, there's a much more important matter than that. He looked at Claude who was just standing there, looking at Mai. "Claude."

Claude's attention was immediately averted from Mai to Naru. "Yes, Young Master?"

"Two glasses of water, please."

Claude bowed and immediately went to his task. He placed the two glasses of water at the left bedside table.

"C'mon now." Naru finally stood up and gently tugged the twins' arms. "We need to get you to bed. It's already late."

Both twins hesitantly looked at the door. Naru instantly understood their unease. "Don't worry. Nothing's gonna happen anymore."

The twins looked at their Father for a moment before nodding. He slowly led them towards the bed, but when they reached the edge, they stopped. "Is something wrong?"

Hikari and Kaori simply lifted their arms up. Naru couldn't help but twitch his eyebrow. He closed his eyes and sighed, slightly amused by their antics. "Aren't you two too old for this?" But as soon as he opened his eyes, he somehow regretted saying those words. They were still there, standing with their arms up, but their eyes were tearing up again and their lips quivering. They may have his cerulean orbs but alarmingly, their facial expressions were from Mai. And somehow, he was vulnerable to that facial expression. He remembered those days in SPR when Mai would get angry for not taking the case, then she'd waltz back in his office with tea in her hands then she'd start ranting about the lives at stake. After that, she would practically beg him with those doe-like eyes of hers with tears that were on the brink of falling. He didn't know why but whenever she'd make that face, it would tug at his heartstrings…then he'll end up giving in. Mai didn't know (and will make sure that she will never know) it but if she would make that face everytime she asks, he can never say no.

Now here he was, facing his two beautiful daughters who were begging to be carried to bed. He chuckled softly before picking up Kaori first and gently laid her to bed, then followed by Hikari. He can see that their eyes were starting to droop. Apparently, their crying and screaming had worn them out. He sat on the edge of the bed and started stroking their black locks one by one. "Go to sleep. I won't go anywhere."

"Okay…" They both mumbled before they slowly drifted their eyes close. As soon as he was sure that they were asleep, he stood up and went straight to the pull-out bed where Mai was resting. He sat down and looked at Mai's face. His eyes travelled to where her neck is…and there, he could see angry red lines all around her neck. His hands clenched into fists. He could've asked Mai to stay where she was until everything was clear. But then, there was a possibility that the ghost would've attacked her while she waited. And it'd be much worse if she waited at that conference room. They may have gotten access to the security cameras near the conference room but it wasn't enough to show everything.

When he heard a soft knock, he knew who it was. "Come in." He called out. Claude, Mai's ever-loyal butler, opened the door for Lin who nodded in thanks.

Naru stood up and took a seat at the dining table. Lin did the same, placing his laptop on top of the table. He slid Naru's black notebook to him. As soon as Naru opened his notebook, Lin started talking whilst typing something in his laptop. "During our session with Mori-san, it ended exactly at the seventh minute. The temperature started fluctuating when she appeared; the biggest drop of temperature during the entire session was 12 degrees."

"At what point did that happen?" Naru inquired, scribbling on his notebook.

"Twenty seconds past the fifth minute mark. It was at that time when she vanished and appeared sitting down. But like I said, the temperature was fluctuating; it didn't last for a second."

"Anything else?"

Lin knew that he was talking about the feeds on Mai's attack. "From what we already know, Mai has great instincts. So we weren't quite surprised to see that as soon as she stepped out from the elevator, she looked quite…edgy."

Naru nodded, still scribbling on his notebook. "What about Takashi-san?"

"Halfway through her trek, she ran, probably setting her eyes on getting in base. But it seems that Takashi-san pushed her. There was no sign of Takashi-san's figure during that time. It was quite a push. He sent her rolling –"

"How about the temperature?" Naru interrupted, obviously not wanting to hear Mai's accident, although he would still have to look at the feeds tomorrow.

"A ten degree drop during Takashi-san's rage. However, we did see a figure of a hand when Mai was thrown."

Naru's eyebrow raised a little. "Just a hand?"

Lin nodded. "Right hand, to be exact."

Naru lightly tapped his pen against his notebook. He hmm'ed in contemplation. He closed his notebook and nodded at Lin. "Tell the others that they can retire for the night." Naru looked at Claude. "Claude, you can go as well. Go with Lin."

Claude bowed. "Yes, Young Master."

With that, both stoic men silently left the room, leaving Naru to his thoughts. He already had suspicions. But if his suspicions would be verified by tomorrow through Yasuhara's research, then they may have a chance of finishing the case early. He sighed and placed his notebook on top of the table. He went straight to the bathroom to take a shower and change his work clothes to sleeping ones. He felt entirely spent just by running for a few seconds; he wasn't too keen in physical activities. After his shower, he immediately went straight to the pull-out bed and slid next to Mai. Just by looking at her face, she was simply too vulnerable to look at right now. He slid an arm around her waist and slowly pushed himself closer to her, wanting to feel her warmth and heaving chest. He won't admit it vocally but he was scared.

He placed a light kiss on her forehead, making Mai frown a bit but relax again. Her body shifted closer to his warmth and without any qualms, he held her closer. He finally closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to take over his mind.

…

**Ohooo. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter too :D I really need to improve on my descriptive writing. And…maybe just two more chapters, then this case is done. I've been dragging this case for too long already. I'm pretty sure you guys are dying to know about Mai's ghost stalker and meeting Naru's parents and the media craze. Yep, for a first-timer, I definitely wrote a long story, hahahaha. **

**Welp, to all my faithful readers, thank you so much once again! :D**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hullo! :] Another chapter, yehey! Well yeah, it took me a long time to update this time. I had to finish an individual project first before this :\**

**Anyhoo, here goes my hugs and kisses to these amazing people :]**

**LiranaRastago****  
crimsonplay  
kana117  
****Heidilynn08****  
****SioPao-chan****  
****Mystique. Angel. Of. Moon****  
****chibi konzen****  
****uchiha. sakura. 23****  
****willoffire2014****  
****diamone. evans****  
****Naruisawesome****  
****Chrysanthia-Sunshine****  
****Emina105****  
****101uchiha-kakashi****  
****Damaged Forest Spirit****  
****NoCoolNameHere****  
****xSapphirexRosesxFanx**

**Please enjoy! :D**

…

Ayako's eyebrow twitched in irritation. _That man…_ She can hear Yasuhara's stifled giggles just right beside her. And again, he was holding that damned folder!

"Oi, shounen. You've been not-so-secretly laughing there for half an hour already." Bou-san stated, raking his blonde locks with his fingers. "What's in there?"

Yasuhara grinned broadly behind his folder, not taking his eyes off of it. "Nothing much."

"Well, can we see it?"

Yasuhara's grin fell from his face. He closed the folder and stared at Bou-san with critical eyes. "Now that I think about it, maybe not."

Bou-san's eyes narrowed, feeling suspicious. "You're scheming again, aren't you?"

Ayako snorted. "Isn't that obvious?" She pointed at Yasuhara's folder. "He's been doing the _same_ thing since yesterday. If I were you, I'd rather not get roped into whatever he's planning."

The base door opened, revealing Rika, Naru and Mai.

"Maman! Papa!" The twins shouted, jumping from Naru's leather chair and straight to their parents.

"So, how was the check-up?" Ayako said from the couch, facing Naru and Mai who were both carrying their daughters.

Rika sat beside Ayako and placed her feet on the table, sighing. "Well, the doctor suspected that Naru was…abusive."

Mai sat across Yasuhara, Ayako and Rika while Naru sat on the arm of the couch with Kaori on his lap. "You should've seen Naru's face." Mai snickered while Naru glared at her.

"I am pretty sure I didn't look like a hoodlum when I presented myself." Naru retorted, still a bit peeved.

Rika rolled her eyes. "You're just angry that the doctor sent you out when he saw Mai's neck bruises. And, it didn't have anything to do with your looks."

Ayako shrugged. "I can't blame him though. One would instantly think that way, even me."

"So, what did you say?" Bou-san asked. "That a ghost strangled you to death and that said ghost threw you straight to a wall?"

"Yep!" Rika grinned. "That's what Mai said."

"Really?" Ayako and Bou-san exclaimed, a bit incredulous.

Mai just smiled at them while slowly rocking Hikari who was munching on a macaroon. "So, how's the investigation going?"

"Pretty slow." Bou-san said. "We're relying a lot on Masako right now."

Mai turned to Masako who was just sitting quietly right beside her. "You're doing okay right?" Mai asked, her voice tinged with pure concern for her friend. "I've heard from Rika and Naru earlier about your encounter with Mori-san at the kitchens."

Masako smiled. During their SPR days, back when both were still fighting for Naru's affections, she would've just held her nose high up in the air and reply in a haughty manner. But after Naru left for England and Masako found her love in John, both gradually became friends. Sure, it was pretty awkward for Masako at first, but they both tried and it ended well. "I'm fine. Nothing happened. You should be more worried about yourself though."

Mai smiled sheepishly. "I'm fine, really. Nothing serious."

"Ah Boss," Yasuhara piped, holding another folder. Ayako and Bou-san started to wonder where he hid the other folder. "I already got the information you asked for."

Naru nodded and held out his hand. "So?"

Yasuhara fixed his glasses at the bridge of his nose, looking all professional. "Well, the answer to your question is yes. All the victims that died here were in a relationship. Some were even on their way to tying the knot."

"Wait." Ayako interrupted. "If unmarried couples are being targeted here, why aren't Masako and John being targeted? Why only Mai?"

Yasuhara looked at his boss who was quietly scolding Kaori for the fallen macaroon crumbs on the paper. "Boss?" Yasuhara called out.

Without looking up, Naru continued brushing the paper with his hands. Despite the dirt made by his daughter, he still managed to read the text. "The ones who died here were all entrepreneurs."

"But aren't you a businessman too?" Ayako asked.

"His main targets are women thus Mai is his first target. Those men that died, they were just unfortunate because they checked-in alone. They were in a relationship _and_ they were entrepreneurs." Naru tapped his chin lightly with his index finger. "I'm gonna assume that as long as the people who step in here are in those category, he really doesn't care about the gender anymore."

"Ne Naru, don't you think that's more than enough information to exorcise the ghost?" Mai ran her fingers through Hikari's hair, feeling their softness. "It's pretty clear that –"

"BORING!" The twins whined. They jumped off the laps of their parents and went straight to Claude who was holding a laptop and a box of macaroons.

Naru seemed a bit aghast at his daughters comment while Mai was giggling right beside him.

"It seems that they don't wanna follow your footsteps Naru-chan." Bou-san teased, mentally taking a picture of Naru's momentary shocked face.

"They can always make another heir." This earned a choke and a blush from Mai while he got an evil glare from Naru. Yasuhara simply grinned, not bothered by the bad looks given to him by the couple. "And besides, I'm pretty sure Naru would want another one, don't you Boss?"

He was met by complete silence – well, not exactly complete since they can hear Lin's typing and the twins' continuous munching on their macaroons. But still, no one dared to utter a single word. The atmosphere was awkward, especially for Mai and Naru. This awkward silence, however, was completely ignored by the spectacled young man. "It'll definitely be a joy for Naru to finally hold a new-born baby in his manly arms."

Now everyone can certainly feel that sudden drop of temperature.

Masako suddenly stood up and took John's hand. "John, let's go and do a walkthrough. I might get a hold of Mori-san." The ex-priest followed his fiancée without a word. He silently nodded at his teammates before leaving the room.

Rika stood up and took long steps to make her way towards Lin who was apparently ignoring everything. She sat down on the chair beside him and pulled herself closer, wanting to escape the strangling atmosphere at the other side of the room.

Ayako and Bou-san both mumbled on their way out, saying that they're gonna go and help Masako in case she gets attacked again.

Yasuhara, on the other hand, who had the guts to blatantly ignore the tension, took a folder from God-knows-where he took it and started snickering behind it…_again_.

Mai, who had been feeling flustered the entire time, released a huge sigh and leaned back against the couch. Yasuhara may have not left the room but at least the tension had somewhat died down when everyone else decided to leave, eager to work on something instead of doing nothing. She was pretty sure that they didn't want to see Yasuhara's head rolling. With nothing else to do, she turned to look at Rika who sitting a bit stiff beside Lin. She noticed that Naru had taken Masako's place earlier. "Rika?"

Rika turned around. "Yes Mai?"

"Ano, about tonight…"

Rika's eyes twinkled in recognition. "Ah! About that…" She picked up her planner and started turning pages. "I was able to call your hair dresser and make-up artist yesterday. They'll be here at 4:30." She turned more pages. "Dinner starts at 7:30. You can go in at 6 or 6:30."

Mai nodded, trying to remember all the things that needed to be done before 4:30. "Anything else?"

"Will you be going in with an escort?"

She shook her head. "No."

The twins' ears perked up at their mothers answer. "What?"

Mai turned to look at them. They were _again_ sitting at their father's leather chair. "What 'what'?"

"Why isn't Papa going with you?" They asked in perfect sync, both tilting their heads on one side.

"As you can see, your Father is busy."

"But -!"

Mai raised a finger, telling her kids not to interrupt her. "_And_ this party will last a couple of hours. Since your father is ghost hunting right now, he needs to concentrate. The ghost won't wait for him to come back." She crossed her legs and settled on the couch comfortably. "There are lives in danger here, your father can't just simply dilly-dally."

_More like _your_ life is in danger…_ Rika rolled her eyes and continued listening on the conversation.

A staring contest began between the mother and her kids. Mai could see their pleading eyes starting to come out but her gaze never wavered, silently telling them that their Father is definitely not available. A minute passed before the twins sighed dejectedly. "Fine…" They sulked.

Mai stood up from the couch and made her way towards her daughters. She kissed them at the top of their heads. "Now now, no pouting. Doesn't suit you." She smiled at them before calling Rika.

"Where are you going?" Naru asked in a stern voice.

"Room. I need to prepare my clothes for tonight." Mai and Rika waved before leaving the room.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Hikari and Kaori jumped from the chair and sat on either side of their Father. "Papa?"

Yasuhara, who was silent the entire time, smirked behind another folder.

He already had this sneaking suspicion of what they were going to say. "What is it?"

"You see, we made you this suit…" Hikari started, twiddling with her cute little thumb. Naru kept on a straight face but he was a little bit surprised of what they did. So in all honestly, he really wasn't expecting that.

"Yeah, and it's very exclusive!" Kaori piped in happily, lightly jumping on the couch. "It's a design that will never be released on public!"

"So," They both jumped in front of him with their hands on their backs and a broad grin on their faces. "Will please accompany Maman later?" They asked, a bit too sweet for Naru's taste.

Naru sighed and placed the folder down his lap. He patted their heads one by one. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Hikari, Kaori. But it's just like what your mother said, I'm still working."

Hikari and Kaori's grin fell from their faces. They both looked at each other before running straight to Lin. They tugged at his sleeve. "Uncle Koujo?" Their voices were a bit downcast.

Lin signed inwardly, not wanting to offend the kids. He turned to the twins with a small smile on his face. "What is it?"

"It's too bad, ne?" Hikari started, her lower lip starting to quiver.

"Papa just said earlier that Maman's the target of this ghost…" Kaori mumbled.

"Who will protect Maman over there when she's all alone?!" Then came in the waterworks.

Yasuhara had to grab a pillow from the couch to muffle his laughs while Naru and Lin's eyebrow twitched. And…they were still crying and clutching on Lin's shirt. They were winning. That was obviously a logic explanation that Naru couldn't simply rebut.

Naru sighed irritably. They were right though. Mai was the target, not some other customer in the hotel. He might as well accompany Mai just for her safety. "Fine, I'll go with your mother."

In an instant, the waterworks stopped and the twins looked at their father with twinkling eyes. It was then that Naru realized that he was being played…by his own two daughters. "Really?"

Naru, not wanting the discussion to last longer, simply nodded before opening the folder that he had in his lap. But before he turned his eyes away from his daughters, he was pretty sure that there was an evil smirk adorning their innocent faces.

…

"I think that Yasuhara just wants to die early." The monk said while casually walking through the spacious corridors in the hotel. They were getting close to the hotel restaurant.

Ayako flipped her hair behind her back, looking absolutely indifferent towards anything. "I think that he's just plain stupid."

"Are you really here to help us or just to backstab Yasuhara-san?" Masako snapped, not liking that her quality time with her fiancée was being interrupted by a couple that was probably mismatched in heaven. As soon as they entered the restaurant, a booming voice startled the group.

"Now _that_ is just _downright_ lame and stupid!"

The group abruptly turned to the source of the angry voice. It was from a casual dressed man who looked probably like in his twenties. His arms were crossed right in front of his chest, revealing well-sculpted biceps. His shining blonde hair and sun-kissed skin gave away his nationality; he was from America. But for an American, he was surprisingly fluent in Japanese. His enticing onyx eyes blazed with anger as he shouted again at another staff.

"You're _asking_ me to _believe_ all that crap you're saying?!" He massaged his temples before sternly pointing at some place in the room that they're in. "Go and put those things back in place!" He commanded harshly, making the worker cringe in fear and run away from his boss.

Hisa, who had appeared out-of-nowhere, approached the enraged American man. "Is there a problem, Smith-san?"

The man named Smith huffed, feeling quite tired at the end of his outburst. "I'm sorry but, are these workers always like this?" He asked, disbelief hanging in his tone. "They keep on complaining about some furnitures being moved from here to there!" He said with a bit of exasperation. This caught the attention of the eavesdropping group from SPR. "Are they mental or what? Couches and woods and vases don't move by themselves!"

Hisa only looked down with an apologetic face. She knew that she couldn't really tell the English man that a ghost has been haunting their hotel. She bowed in apology. "I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience Smith-san. The workers that we usually hire were called in for a much bigger event somewhere in France." That was the truth. "They recommended us to call this company. But it seems that their best workers were also called for a different event." Now _this_ was a lie. Hisa had worked with the company before, and their work was more than up to par. It just so happened that her hotel was infested with a ghost that loved moving and turning things.

Smith sighed heavily and ruffled his blonde locks, giving him a messy look, but damn it looked good on him. "I totally understand Takahashi-san. I've been through this mess a lot of times already." He stood stiffly and surveyed the room that was gonna be full of VIP's later in the evening. "Takahashi-san, if you'll excuse me." He bowed slightly before stiffly walking away from Hisa who nodded politely and walked away in a different direction.

Ayako looked at Masako who was intently staring at the place where the Smith guy used to stand. "Well, do you feel anything?"

Masako furrowed her eyebrows in concentration. "There is something…it's quite faint though. I can't seem to get a proper reading."

"Maybe it's because of the activity going on inside." Bou-san deduced, looking at the crowded area ahead of him. "Everyone looks like little ants going haywire."

"I think this is where Mai-san would be going tonight." John said, looking at his fiancée who was still staring at the same place. "You think we should tell Naru?"

Masako nodded. "Let's go back then."

The group nodded and made their way back to base. "You think Yasu's still alive?" Bou-san asked his wife, grinning widely.

Ayako smirked. "You think Naru would kill someone in front of his kids?"

The monk pouted playfully. "Bummer."

Ayako chuckled at her husband's playful behaviour while John and Masako completely ignored the weird couple.

…

The door to base opened, revealing the group that left earlier.

"Yo, Naru." Bou-san greeted. He was met with a blank stare before the said man went back to study his files. Used to Naru's indifference, he sat on the single couch beside the young boss. "We heard something interesting earlier." The monk continued.

Naru's eyes rose to meet Bou-san's gaze. "What is it?"

"Well," He leaned back against the couch, making himself comfortable. "We were helping John and Masako earlier –"

"More like _arguing_ rather than _helping_." The medium said icily. Bou-san ignored the sulking medium and continued. "There was this American guy downstairs at the hotel restaurant, shouting at some poor worker. I think they're preparing the room for the social party that Mai will be attending tonight. Anyway, Takahashi-san probably heard him screaming so she approached him. It seems that some of the workers are having problems with the things inside. From what we've heard, the workers keep on complaining about things being rearranged."

"Masako felt something earlier." John said, looking at his fiancée.

Masako nodded slightly. "I did, but it was faint."

Naru nodded, scribbling something in his black notebook.

Bou-san looked at Naru with a slight contemplative look. "You're not going downstairs with Masako and barge in that room, aren't you?"

Naru simply ignored the monk's question and stood up from the couch. He walked over to Lin and said something to him before leaving his notebook beside his laptop and leaving the room without any word.

The monk looked at Lin. "He's going, isn't he, Lin-san?"

Without sparing Bou-san a glance, the tall Chinese man replied. "Nothing has ever stopped Naru before, not even an angry American."

…

"…Ah! And of course, this is practically obvious." Nathan Smith, over-all organizer of the social party, pointed to an expensive looking long table. "This is where we'll be displaying all of the scrumptious high-class food." Nathan broadly grinned at Mai. "Of course, ladies like you deserve to be fed well, don't you think so?"

Mai knew what the guy was doing, but she dismissed his subtle advances with a smile. She was talking to this man with a purpose, and that was to try and feel if there are any ghosts in the ballroom area where the party will take place. She was a bit shocked to hear Naru directly asking something from her. He wasn't exactly known to outright ask people for help. But of course, despite that, he never even bothered saying 'please' or 'thank you'. _And I thought he was gonna get his way by giving his all-too-famous Naru-glare…_ She mused. Rika and Naru were waiting outside for her while here she was, half-listening to the American who was talking about his vision for tonight's party.

"Would you like to see the lounging area, Taniyama-san?" Nathan smiled, a bit provocatively. Mai could feel the heeby-jeebies from this guy but resisted the urge to shudder in disgust. In response, Mai smiled professionally and nodded. "That would be nice. Me and my escort might get tired from standing all night."

Nathan nodded and proceeded to guide her. She can see different people carrying different things…and they all looked heavy since they were all made out of polished wood. She wondered how they could walk so fast with a baggage so heavy.

They finally arrived at the far right of the ballroom area. He pulled the glass door and stepped aside. "Ladies first?"

Mai simply walked in, followed by Nathan who silently closed the door. "Why are there no workers here?" Mai asked, surveying the room with a critical sense and eye. She already knew the answer, but so as to not raise suspicion from the American, she asked anyway. _I don't see or feel anything. Maybe it's gone…_ She thought.

Nathan went to stand beside her. "I told the workers to focus more on putting all the furnitures and displays on the ballroom hall since the area is much larger. We'll be fixing this place in the afternoon."

Mai continued at the task at hand, not noticing Nathan's ardent gaze directed at her. "Taniyama-san?" He called, his tone going down an octave making it sound sensual.

"…"

He noticed that the woman beside him was preoccupied with something else. Taking advantage of the situation, he slowly reached out to Mai.

"What are you doing?"

Nathan jumped away from Mai and reeled his hand back to his side. That icy voice coming out from nowhere made his heart jump. He'd heard weird stories coming from the waitresses in the restaurant but dismissed it easily; he doesn't believe in the paranormal. But that doesn't mean he couldn't feel a bit paranoid since almost every staff in the hotel was talking about it.

Both occupants turned around to look at the person who just came in.

"Naru!" Mai beamed, not seeing Naru's pointed dirty looks towards the man beside her. She happily skipped her way towards him and grabbed his hand. "Naru?" She called out again.

"What took you so long?"

Mai finally took notice of Naru's hard gaze towards Nathan who in return was also glowering at Naru. "I…was just looking at the venue. I told you, didn't I? Did I…make you wait for too long?" She asked, her voice becoming timid by the second. Maybe she did make him wait for quite a long time. He wasn't really known for his patience anyway.

"Yes. Yes you did." Naru's turned away from Nathan's heated gaze and looked at Mai. He was back to his cool and emotionless façade. "Let's go back. It's almost lunch." Without waiting for a reply, he took hold of Mai's wrist and brought her out of the lounging area, leaving Nathan a bit stumped.

With Naru's long strides, Mai had a hard time keeping up with his pace. "Naru!" She hissed. "Slow down, I can barely keep up!"

He abruptly stopped, making Mai clash with the back of his arm. She was getting irritated. "And don't just do that!" She snapped, glaring at the back of Naru's head. She rubbed her nose, feeling a slight pain. "Now my nose hurts…" She mumbled.

She heard him sigh heavily. Naru turned to look at Mai who was rubbing her slightly red nose. She was frowning and her cheeks were puffed up a bit; he wouldn't say it but she looking cute at the moment. "Did he do anything?" His voice was stern.

"What do you mean?" She asked exasperatedly. "He didn't do anything! He was just giving me a small tour." They were still at the ballroom area and she could see some of the workers staring at them in wonder. She shook her head and this time, she grabbed Naru's wrist. "Let's get out. We're being stared at."

Naru simply let her drag him out of the venue, releasing some of the tension on his shoulders. Earlier, while he was on the phone with his parents, Rika tugged his sleeve impatiently and pointed at the far end of the hall and said that the American guy dragged her over there. With a quick goodbye to his parents, he went inside and glared at every person who dared to stop him. It was a good thing that he arrived at the lounging area in the nick of time. With the glass door, he could see that predatory look in Smith's eyes which fuelled his anger. Even before his phone call with his parents, he and Rika were following Mai's movements and they noticed that the Smith guy was subtly flirting with her…and that irritated him to no end.

As soon as they exited the ballroom area, Mai let go of his wrist and glared at him. Rika instantly went up to Mai's side. "So? Did you get anything?" Rika asked.

Mai looked at Rika and shook her head. "No. But I'm pretty sure that it was the lounging area that was being played with. There's no one fixing the furnitures over there."

"Is that your intuition?" Naru asked, his tone all business-like again.

She nodded, briefly forgetting her irritation towards him. "He never mentioned anything about the excuses he gets from the workers here."

A loud and simultaneous gasps that came from the ballroom hall interrupted the trio's conversation. Hastily, they went back inside and noticed that everyone was huddled at the center. They even saw Nathan's tall frame trying to wiggle his way to the center. Without anyone to stop them, they quickly went inside and with swift steps, they arrived at the large huddled group. With a few pushes and 'excuse me's, they finally arrived at the scene. At the center was a fallen vase but it wasn't broken. In fact, it was rolling back and forth…by itself.

Rika gasped while Naru and Mai just stared at it. With that action, they instantly knew who was sabotaging the progress of the workers; Mori Emi.

"Do you feel anything?" Naru softly asked Mai, not wanting to draw attention from the scared and curious onlookers.

Mai shook her head, feeling a bit apprehensive. Her medium skills weren't as top notch as Masako's. "I can see her faint figure but I'm not feeling anything. I'm…not sure."

Naru nodded. "Let's go back."

Rika and Mai nodded. They pushed their way out of the still-huddled crowd and finally exited the ballroom area, making their way back to base. Mai sighed, feeling slightly disappointed. "I told you, we should've brought Masako along with us."

"As long as you didn't sense any danger earlier, it's okay. Even if Hara-san was there, she can't just startle Mori-san. Things might get out of hand. Your intuition is good enough." He replied coolly.

Mai fought her hardest to not blush like mad. "Ah. Th – thank you…" She uttered softly. Old habits die hard.

"I'll be escorting you tonight since the kids bought a suit for me." He said.

His next words died on Mai's ears. She stopped in her tracks and repeated his sentence like an old broken record inside her brain. _He's coming…_

"Mai!"

Her musing stopped and she looked at Naru, who was already a few meters ahead of her together with Rika who was wearing an amused smile.

"Are you just gonna stand there like a gaping fish or what?" He raised an elegant eyebrow, but Mai could see the mirth in his eyes, clearly enjoying her momentary shock and expression. His insult finally registered in her brain, which resulted into a round of a flustered Mai.

Naru simply smirked and walked away with a giggling Rika beside him.

"You jerk!" She screamed.

Yep, old habits do die hard.

…

**Finally done! :D I know, not as exciting as the previous chapters but I'll make it up to you guys, like I always promise :D **

**A penny for your thoughts then? :]**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay everyone. So I won't go into details this time. All that I can tell you is that, I went to surgery last year and until now, I'm still recovering. I still have some medicines left for me to take so my brain's still kind of fuzzy since the medicines that I'm taking brings me to a deep sleep, so please do forgive my errors in grammar and spelling.**

I'm terribly sorry if I wasn't able to tell you guys ahead of time. It sort of slipped my mind, teehee. Anyhoo, I'll be saying sorry again since from now on, my updates for this story will take some time. But rest assured that I won't abandon this story. This is my first story after all. I'll be damned if I'd abandon this precious thing :]

**So here's another chapter! :] (I'm so sorry if this one's shorter.)**

**P.S. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE! :]**

**...**

"Oh my God, he's so hot…"

"Taniyama-san is so lucky!"

"They look so good together, it's breaking my heart…"

"What's his name?"

Naru inwardly sighed and whispered in Mai's ear that may seem affectionate to the watcher. "With all this nonsense I'm going through, you'll definitely pay me back big time Mai…"

Mai looked at her handsome escort with incredulity. "Where did all your genius brain cells go? Did you forget that Hikari and Kaori put you up to this?"

"Mai-san!"

Mai sighed before turning around to face her friend, Egami Ai. She smiled politely. "Hello there, Ai-san."

She was wearing a halter-styled dress that definitely hugged her body, showing off her curves. The dress looked simple since the only design that adorned the silky white dress was a glittering white lace at the hem, making the dress a bit catchy from afar, plus hot-blooded males may enjoy the view since the dress ended at her mid-thighs, exposing Ai's creamy legs that seemed to go on for miles. Ah, but that's just a bonus from the dress. At the back of Ai's neck where the dress was buttoned to hold, a square-shaped 15-carat diamond sat there, serving as a button for the thousand yen dress. Definitely pricey.

"My my, isn't this a first Mai-san…" Ai teased, giving Mai a playful wink. "You've finally snatched yourself a handsome man."

Mai knew that Ai wanted to know Naru's name. She simply smiled and looked at Naru. "Na – Kazuya, this is Egami Ai. Like me, she also runs a very famous fashion company, although hers has started to branch out in America."

Naru smiled and held his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you Egami-san. Shibuya Kazuya, CEO of SPR."

And cue in the girly blush…

Mai wanted to smirk, but fought hard against that urge. She was expecting that reaction from Ai – even though it was only Naru's fake charm turned on against the blushing woman in front of him.

Ai composed herself before shaking Naru's hand. She was hoping that her hand wasn't sweating. "It's nice to finally meet you too, Shibuya-san." She relinquished Naru's hand and smiled professionally at him. "We saw you both a couple of days ago." She smirked. "You both are quite…comfortable with each other."

Mai blushed while Naru kept on his smiling face. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen my girlfriend here for a few days since I was away for work."

_More like a few years…_ Mai mused while waiting for Ai's obvious reply.

"If you don't mind me asking," Ai unconsciously crossed her arms in front of her, making her cleavage more pronounced. "How long have you guys been dating?"

"We just recently got together." Naru answered.

Mai started wondering if he knew that this was gonna happen. She knew that Naru could lie swiftly without giving away anything, but still…everything sounded so scripted.

"I've heard that Taniyama Mai here is quite hard to please." She smirked at Mai who only sighed in response. "A lot of single men have been trying these past few years, but their efforts were all for naught."

As soon as Naru's arm snaked around Mai's waist, she suddenly felt a chill go over her body. She knew that Naru felt her shudder slightly since he lightly gripped her waist. Something was going to happen, and she knew that she wasn't going to like it.

"Then that must mean I –"

Then the lights went out.

Lots of gasps and curses could be heard, but Mai ignored that. That foreboding feeling that she had just a couple of seconds ago was increasing like mad that she held onto Naru's tux for dear life. "Naru…" She whimpered.

Naru pulled Mai closer to him, feeling her body quivering slightly. "What are you feeling?" He whispered lowly, making sure that Ai doesn't hear him. He can still see Ai's silhouette in front of them, although she wasn't facing them anymore.

"Let's leave…" She whispered back, fear laced in her tone. Even with the darkness surrounding them, she helplessly looked around her, searching for something that was out of the ordinary.

Without wasting a second, Naru took her hand to take her out of the room, but he was met with an unmoving…and possibly a more shaken Mai. "Mai?"

He felt her grip tighten. Her hands were becoming clammy. "My ankle…" The fear in her voice was now clear. Naru could feel his own heart race, but determined himself to remain alert and composed. Seriously, this ghost was hell bent on killing Mai.

The slimy and cold hands remained unmoving on her right ankle although she can feel the grip getting tighter by the second. At the back of her mind, she knows what the ghost will be doing next, but deep in her heart, she wished for the ghost to leave her alone. "Please…" She can clearly hear her own voice quiver in fear. "Leave me alone…"

Naru tightened his grip on her waist and wrist. "Can you do the Nine Cuts Mai?"

She had no chance to reply. All she could process right at this moment was that she was being dragged across the ballroom hall by the hand that held her ankle. She screamed and tried resisting. With her panic, she couldn't perform the mantra that Bou-san taught her nor Ayako's Nine Cuts. The skin on her thighs was starting to burn from the friction of being dragged. She can hear herself shouting Naru's name over and over again. She can hear Naru's heavy footsteps following her voice amidst the darkness.

"MAI!" Naru shouted. He can hear her helpless screams going further away. With all the people standing in the area, it was hard for him to run in a straight manner. And as swift as Mai being dragged away, her voice couldn't be heard anymore. "MAI!" He shouted again, oblivious to the onslaught of questions directed at him. "Shit…" He cursed. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and dialled Lin's number.

…

A ring broke the happy conversation occurring in base. They all looked for the source of the sound; it was from Lin's phone.

Lin sighed when he saw Naru's name on the screen. He flipped open his phone and placed it on his ear. "What is it Naru?"

At first, all he could hear was panicked voices and Naru's ragged breathing. "Naru?" He repeated, feeling slightly alarmed.

Everyone in base tensed up after hearing Lin's tone; something bad had happened, and they were sure that it had something to do with Mai.

Lin's eyes widened slowly after listening to Naru. He nodded grimly. "All right. We'll meet you there." He instantly closed his phone and turned to the rest of SPR. He saw their expectant and worried-looking faces. "John, Matsuzaki-san, Bou-san, and Hara-san, come with me."

Rika stood up from the couch and looked at Lin. "Did something happen?"

Lin nodded. "Mai's been kidnapped by the ghost."

A simultaneous gasp was heard. "Where did the ghost take her?" Ayako asked, looking extremely worried for her adopted daughter.

Lin sighed and shook his head. "Naru doesn't know. The lights went out while the party was still on-going."

"Let's go then." Masako stepped forward, making her way to the door. "The ghost might still be active."

With that, the group stepped out of base with a mission in mind: to find Mai before everything's too late.

…

The ballroom hall was an utter mess. High-class food was splattered everywhere, shards of expensive glasses were strewn everywhere on the floor…and a trail of blood that ended in the middle of the hall. Snippets of whispered conversations could be heard everywhere.

"This is horrible…"

"…such a good person…"

"Who would do such a thing…"

Ayako sighed and looked at the mess in front of the group. "This will definitely be a buzz on the media…" She said to herself.

"You should be ashamed for yourself…" Bou-san replied behind Ayako. "You're more worried about the media than your own daughter?"

The priestess turned and glared at her husband. "It's not like that!" She retorted angrily. "I was just saying!"

"Then at least keep your thoughts to yourself." Bou-san scolded. "It sounds so insulting."

Ayako huffed. "I didn't mean it that way!"

"Matsuzaki-san."

Ayako turned to Naru who was closely examining the area with the hopes of finding something that will lead to Mai's whereabouts. "Where are the kids?"

"I'm not sure what's happening with them right now but before we left, we made sure that the others were with them. They're all inside your room."

Naru nodded and turned to the group behind him. "I want all of you to check the entire area for rooms connected to this place. Come back as soon as possible."

With that, everyone took off in different directions, sincerely hoping that they'll be able to find Mai in good condition.

**...**

Yasuhara and Rika sweat dropped at the sight in front of them. They really wanted to laugh, they really do. But they couldn't bring themselves to laugh because of the two angry little kids sitting at the edge of the bed, glaring at them. But that's not the funny part. It was Claude, who was setting the _floating_ things back down to where they belong...and he wasn't making any progress because everytime he sets a thing down, it floats back up...then he sets it down again.

_I truly admire this man's dedication to the family._ Yasuhara thought while smiling sweetly at Hikari and Kaori.

Rika sighed and sat on the floor, which made her in eye level with the twins. "You know that we can't let you guys go down there."

"So it's true then..." The twins replied, sadness lacing their voice.

Rika smiled ruefully. "Your father and the others are doing their best to look for your mother. Don't worry so much."

The twins looked at each other for a moment before turning away from Rika and tucking themselves for bed.

Rika raised an eyebrow. "Sleeping early?" She checked her watch. "It's still 8:45."

"We're tired." Were the twins' synchronized answer.

Rika turned to look at Yasuhara, who simply shook his head, telling the bob-haired girl to just let them be. She sighed and looked at the twins again. Both were now breathing steadily. _That was fast._ She stood up and went back to the small dining table where Claude was standing right behind her chair. "Is there anything you need Sou-sama?" Claude inquired.

Rika shook her head and continued to stare at Mai's little angels.

"I hope they find her soon..." Yasuhara mumbled, looking at the twins with worry in his eyes.

Rika simply nodded, silently praying to Kami to keep her best friend safe, wherever she may be.

**...**

_Her eyes instantly snapped open, only to be greeted by ocean-colored eyes that were full of apprehension._

"_Gene?" Mai croaked, feeling her spiritual body a bit tired._

_The older twin simply held out his hand to her. Mai took his hand and felt him pull gently to make her sit up. "Do you remember anything?" Gene asked._

_Mai nodded solemnly. "I was dragged..." She looked up at Gene with wide eyes. "Do you know where I am?"_

_Gene could see the little twinkle in Mai's eyes, desperate for receiving a positive answer from him. He shook his head...and heard Mai chuckle weakly._

"_I sort of...expected that." She replied softly; a bitter smile plastered on her face._

"_I'm...sorry..." Gene mumbled. "I'm not sure how this ghost did it but –" His explanation was cut off when he felt Mai's hand on his shoulder. He looked at her and her bitter smile was replaced with a soft one._

"_It's okay Gene." She removed her hand from his shoulder and took one of his hands in hers, and gripped it tightly. "Just stay with me. They'll find me."_

_Albeit shocked with her composure, he smirked at her. "You trust Noll that much?"_

_Mai rolled her eyes at the teasing brother. "Not only Naru. Lin-san and the others too. And Claude."_

_Gene raised an eyebrow at that. "Claude? Your butler?"_

_Now it was time for Mai to smirk, sending weird shivers in Gene's spine. "Claude isn't just your ordinary butler..."_

**...**

"Sou-sama."

Rika turned her tired eyes at Mai's trusted butler, Claude, who was now standing right in front of her with a blank look on his face. "Yes, Claude?"

"I'll go downstairs and help the others look for Young Mistress."

Rika's expression turned incredulous. "Do you not understand the situation Claude?" Her tone of voice bordering between anger and disbelief.

"All of us understand your loyalty towards Mai." Yasuhara butted in. "But this is something you can't just jump into Claude. We're talking about a ghost who's hell bent on killing people without any second thoughts."

Rika nodded. "And besides," She crossed her legs and sat back comfortably. "You're in-charge of watching over the twins. Naru will surely kill you when he finds out."

"What if I told you that I know where the Young Mistress is?"

Rika and Yasuhara snapped their wide eyes at Claude, who was still wearing a blank expression on his face. "You _what_?" Rika hissed.

Yasuhara's eyes widened in anger. "Don't tell me you're a part in all of this Claude?"

Claude merely sighed. "Like what you said, my loyalty towards the Young Mistress is unfathomable. I wouldn't do such a thing."

"Then pray tell, how do you know where Mai is?" Yasuhara questioned, still not believing Claude's explanation.

Claude smiled in an eerie way...and left the room, leaving Yasuhara's question unanswered. This shocked both young adults that they swiftly took their phones and dialled an important number.

**...**

Naru and Lin were on the elevator, riding their way up to Mai's previous suite, when their phones rang simultaneously. Naru looked at Lin who instantly answered his phone, wondering if his guardian had noticed that their phones rang at the same time.

"Rika?"

Naru's eyes widened slightly. _Rika, she's with Hikari and Kaori..._ He thought. He hadn't noticed that his phone had stopped ringing.

"He said that?"

One look at Lin's face, he instantly knew that something was wrong. He could feel his insides turn cold by the second.

"Did he say anything as to where she might be?"

"Is that about Mai?" He butted in, urgency laced in his voice.

Lin held up a finger. "Okay then. I'll tell Naru."

As soon as Lin closed his phone, Naru prodded again. "Well?"

Lin sighed and glared at the closed elevator doors. "It seems that Mai's loyal servant needs some explaining to do."

_Loyal servant..._ "Claude? He knows where Mai is?" Confusion and disbelief were written on Naru's handsome features.

Lin nodded and flipped his phone open again. "We're gonna have to tell the others to look for Claude."

Naru nodded stiffly. He was seething. It seems that Mai's trustworthy butler isn't exactly...trustworthy after all.

**...**

"Why won't you wake up already?" A cold and slimy hand traced Mai's jawline. She was still unconscious, her spiritual body still on the astral plane.

"My, my. This isn't good."

Takashi, the evil ghost that's still residing in the hotel, instantly turned around and looked at the intruder with squinting eyes since it was dark. The moon wasn't shining today.

"How cruel of you. Tying my Young Mistress up on that rusty device." The smooth voice said.

"Who are you?!" Takashi called out.

"Young Mistress is a famous model, and here you are, dirtying her body with your dirty hands."

"I'm asking you! Who are you?!" Takashi shouted in anger and alarm. As soon as that voice popped out of nowhere, he felt that something was terribly off. And that something made his ghostly body tremble with fear. He can hear dry leaves being crushed to little pieces, and the longer he listened, he could recognize that the eerie footsteps were heading straight to his direction. And he didn't like that one bit.

"I'm not here to dawdle, so I'll be collecting Young Mistress this instant."

"What do you mean by -!"

And in an instant, Takashi's spiritual body dispersed, leaving nothing but his terrified screams in the air.

**...**

**Okay, so I hope everyone's satisfied with this. This isn't my usual 4K word chapter...so yeah. I won't be promising anything but I hope that I'll be able to update next week.**

**Ciao!  
Nana xxx**


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